Less than half of Canadians intend to buy an electric car as their next car

An Ontario man was shocked to hear that he would have to pay $15,000 to have his 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid's electrical system repaired and the battery replaced. Requires a new hybrid battery.

If I were to buy a new vehicle, I would no longer buy a hybrid car, nor an electric car, but a gasoline car, this person said. The federal government plans to make all new cars sold in Canada electric by 2035. But a recent AutoTrader survey shows that not all Canadians are ready for the change, citing concerns about charging stations, cold weather and battery life.

According to AutoTrader, at least 68% of Canadians are interested in purchasing an electric car by 2022. This figure decreased to 56% in 2023 and 46% in 2024.

The Canadian Automobile Manufacturers Association (CVMA), which represents Ford, General Motors and Stlantis, believes the lack of charging stations across Canada is hurting electric car sales.

According to the association's president, we are seeing a decline in Canadian interest in electric cars, largely due to charging infrastructure and the price difference between gasoline and electric cars.

There are over a million kilometers of roads in Canada where tens of thousands of charging stations must be built if Canadians are to confidently buy an electric car.

Currently, about 11 percent of new car sales are electric, and prices should continue to fall, according to the industry.

Seventy-five percent of those surveyed said Canada is unlikely to meet its goal of selling electric cars by 2035.

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