A lack of electric vehicles is leaving the territory playing catch up with a looming federal ban on selling gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

As of March 31, the territory has a record high of 42,410 registered vehicles, according to the GNWT, 49 of them are fully electric, making up about 0.1 per cent of the total figure.

The ban is a nationwide effort to reduce carbon emissions, which the GNWT recognizes. But, in an email to SA国际影视传媒, the Department of Infrastructure made it clear the territory is nowhere near on track to meet the country's goal.

"Updated  conducted in 2023 forecasts approximately five per cent of light duty vehicles in the NWT will be electric by 2030 and between 47 per cent and 57 per cent by 2050," according to a statement from the department. 

Electric vehicles aside, there's also the issue of a seeming lack of charging stations in the territory. In fact, GNWT doesn't even know how many there are to begin with. According to the Department of Infrastructure, it's hard to tell.

"It is difficult to say how many charging stations there are in the NWT, as most charging points are in people's homes and places of work, which the GNWT does not oversee," its statement reads. "However, we anticipate that this is where most charging activity happens."

For the folks travelling on highways however, the department added that a charging corridor is being developed between Yellowknife and Alberta.

"This corridor is anticipated to be completed by spring 2025 and will include fast chargers in Yellowknife, Behchoko, Fort Providence, Enterprise, Hay River, Buffalo Junction, and Fort Smith," according to the department, noting that the stations in Yellowknife and Hay River are currently operational. "The capacity of those chargers is anticipated to meet the 2030 charging demand so that any electric vehicle travelling can get enough charge to continue travelling within 30 minutes, during peak traffic hours, even in winter."

The federal policy also only applies to the sale of new light-duty vehicles, the department notes, adding that it will still take time for the fleet of vehicles to fully feel the impacts of the ban after 2035.

"One other important factor to consider for the North is that the proposed regulation also allows for the sale of hybrid vehicles, still allowing the use of gasoline, provided they meet a minimum standard for pure electric range," the department adds. Currently, there are 39 plug-in hybrid vehicles in the NWT. 

In October this year, Caroline Wawzonek, minister of Infrastructure, announced a commitment for the NWT to hit  Based on what the Department of infrastructure predicts - that only about half of light duty vehicles in the NWT will be electric by 2050 - that would seem unlikely.

SA国际影视传媒 reached out to Wawzonek for comment on how the NWT is going to respond, but the department of Infrastructure replied with an addition to its previous statement.

So, according to the department, if the territory reached 57 per cent of light duty vehicles being electric by 2050, that would involve a scenario where the territory achieved net-zero emissions.

"In such scenario, the modelling suggests remaining light duty vehicles will be operating on clean fuels such as liquid biofuels," the department states. Those biofuels include renewable diesel and renewable gasoline.

"Liquid biofuels can be used to replace traditional fossil fuels like diesel and gasoline to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," the statement adds. It finishes by stating the GNWT will continue to lobby the federal government to advocate for policies that are better adapted to its particular context.