Policy should shift from subsidy/punitive measures to trying to make zero emissions vehicles useful enough so that people will buy them, not because they want to be trendy and cool (and I think the author is exactly right on this) but because they actually work for life in Canada.

A battery only powered vehicle will never be mainstream.  Too many compromises have to be made.  You will always need some sort of engine to generate the power used to drive the wheels.  Best case right now for that is hydrogen fuel cell.  Instead of funding well heeled Canadians' EV purchases so that they can "keep up with the Jones's" how about we dump that money into creating a hydrogen fuel cell filling infrastructure like California has just started to do.  Fuel cell technology is great because you get all the benefits of an EV without the range anxiety.  You can then put these drive systems into the larger vehicles that most Canadians want/need.