Less than half of Canadians say they will buy an electric vehicle as their next car: survey
An Ontario man said he couldn’t believe he would need to spend almost $15,000 to fix the electrical system and replace the battery in his 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.
“I was in total shock, just blown away,” said Darrin Smith of Mississauga, Ont.
Smith said his car had 97,000 kilometres on the odometer when it stopped working. After almost $5,000 worth of work, Smith was told he also needed a new engine and a new hybrid battery.
"If I had to look into buying a new vehicle, I wouldn’t get a hybrid again and I wouldn’t get an electric car, I would get a gas-powered car. I’ve learned my lesson,” Smith said.
The federal government wants all new cars sold in Canada to be electric by 2035, but a recent survey by AutoTrader found not all Canadians are ready to make the switch as they have concerns about charging stations, cold weather and battery life.
According to AutoTrader, in 2022 at least 68 per cent of Canadians were interested in buying an electric vehicle. In 2023, that number dropped to 56 per cent. In 2024, it dropped to 46 per cent.
Part of the reason is the cost of electric cars which can sell for an average of 15 to 20 per cent more than gas-powered cars.
"Consumers are a bit hesitant and vehicle purchasing costs are top of mind for obvious reasons,” said Baris Akyurek, Vice President of Marketing Intelligence at AutoTrader.
The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA) represents Ford, General Motors and Stellantis and feels a lack of charging stations throughout Canada is hurting electric vehicle sales.
“We are seeing a slowdown in interest for Canadian consumers and that is largely due to the charging infrastructure and a price gap between a gas-powered vehicles and a electric vehicles," said Brian Kingston, president and CEO of CVMA.
Kingston says there are more than a million kilometres of roads in Canada that will require tens of thousands of charging stations if Canadians want to feel secure in buying an electric car.
In AutoTrader’s survey, it did find that of those interested in purchasing an electric vehicle 62 per cent would consider buying a hybrid.
CTV News Toronto also reached out to Hyundai Canada about Smith’s vehicle and a spokesperson said: “Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, as it allowed us to investigate this case for the first time, and provide support to Mr. Smith.”
“Hyundai Auto Canada has fully reviewed the technical details of the situation, and resolved it amicably with Mr. Smith.”
Smith told CTV News that Hyundai was now going to cover the cost of the electrical repairs and the hybrid battery replacement, which was great news for him.
“We were able to come to a resolution so it's great. This is really incredible,” said Smith.
Currently, about 11 per cent of new car sales are electric and the industry says prices should continue to come down.
Seventy-five per cent of those asked in the survey said they feel it’s unlikely Canada will reach its target to sell only electric cars by the year 2035.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
U.K. prime minister calls national election for July 4
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a national election on Wednesday, naming July 4 as the date for a vote his governing Conservatives are widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Private island on Nova Scotia's South Shore listed for $15.8M
A private island on Nova Scotia’s South Shore has been listed for sale with a $11.5-million USD price tag.
DEVELOPING Blood vial delivery prompts evacuation of Republican headquarters in Washington
The headquarters of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police said.
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
'On the edge of failing': Most of Canada gets a 'D' on poverty report cards
Poverty and food insecurity have worsened in most of Canada in the past year and most provincial governments aren't doing enough to address the problem, according to a just-released series of report cards.
World's most expensive feather sells at New Zealand auction
A feather from a long-extinct New Zealand bird has set a record after selling for $46,521 NZD (about US$28,400), the auction house handling the sale has said.