Transport Canada adopts ABYC standards for electric and hybrid boats

Transport Canada has approved a policy accepting American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) electrical standards for electric and hybrid vessel compliance in Canada. This new Tier I Policy allows the marine industry to use alternative industry standards where no requirements currently exist within Canada’s regulatory framework. The policy went into effect on Oct 25, 2022.

This policy applies to vessels that are manufactured, constructed, converted, modified, altered or imported for use in Canada that are: pleasure craft less than 24 meters (78.7’); vessels other than pleasure craft not more than 24 meters; and fishing vessels not more than 24.4 (80’) meters and not more than 150 gross tonnage.

“This electric and hybrid vessel policy expands the already widely applied and accepted ABYC standards as the alternative to the existing Canadian construction requirements for small vessels set out in the Construction Standards for Small Vessels (TP 1332),” said ABYC Technical VP Craig Scholten. “Today, over 50% of the vessel Declarations of Conformities for Canadian compliance are using ABYC standards as the construction requirements in Canada.”