Canadians should be taxed for owning gas cars, says environmentalist group

This tax money would then be converted into rebates that would be given to Canadians who buy electric cars. Like with Trudeau's carbon tax, however, rebates are expensive and usually don't end up back in people's pockets.

Electric Mobility Canada submitted an idea to a House of Commons' committee, saying that the Trudeau government should introduce a "fee-bate system" on Canadians who have petrol cars.

85 percent of Canadians drive petrol cars instead of electric.

"Make polluting passenger vehicles pay for zero emission vehicle rebates so the rebate program can finance itself," wrote environmental lobbyists. "For vehicle categories that do not yet have a zero emission vehicle option, fee-bate exemptions should be considered until zero emission models come to market."

The federal government currently forks out up to $5 thousand on rebates for electric cars. The government also taxes expensive and large petrol cars with a $1 thousand green levy.

Despite all this, electric cars make up a meagre 3 percent of total car sales annually. "Cost is by far the main barrier to consumers purchasing a plug-in electric car or truck," lobbyists said.