Quebec relaunches major clean transport push

Tashi Farmilo

The Government of Quebec has reinstated its Ecocamionnage program as of December 2025, injecting $145.4 million to help businesses across the province, including those in the Outaouais region, transition to cleaner freight transport technologies in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and modernize the sector.

The Ecocamionnage program, which had been suspended in 2024 due to budget constraints, is now funded through 2028 under the province’s climate strategy, the Plan pour une économie verte. It provides financial support for companies operating heavy-duty vehicles to adopt electric or hybrid trucks, install energy-saving equipment, or reconfigure their logistics to reduce fuel use and emissions.

In the Outaouais, where a mix of urban and rural transportation needs intersect, the program could prove particularly relevant to local freight operators, municipalities, and cooperatives looking to modernize their fleets and cut operating costs over time. Eligible participants must have vehicles registered in Quebec and primarily used for transporting goods or delivering services.

While the Corporation des concessionnaires automobiles du Québec (CCAQ) welcomed the return of the program, it also used the announcement to highlight what it sees as regulatory inconsistencies between sectors. According to the association, new vehicle dealers are subject to a far more stringent regulatory environment under Quebec’s Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standard. For model year 2026, 32.5 percent of all new passenger vehicles sold must be electric. Non-compliance carries penalties, and at the same time, government rebates for EV buyers are being phased out.

The CCAQ has expressed concern that while heavy-duty transport is now receiving targeted financial support, other segments of the automotive industry are being left to navigate an uneven regulatory and economic landscape. The organization has called for a more coordinated approach that aligns environmental goals with practical, sector-wide policy design.

“We welcome the reopening of Ecocamionnage, a program that helps the heavy transport sector reduce its emissions,” said CCAQ president and CEO Ian P. Sam Yue Chi. “But for the energy transition to be successful, we need a comprehensive vision and stable conditions that allow both businesses and consumers to adapt.”