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
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Banking mogul suing government after intelligence leaks leave him shut out of Canadian economy
Chinese Canadian banking mogul Shenglin Xian has launched a $300 million lawsuit against the federal government. It’s a means to find the source of intelligence leaks which Xian says has cost him his livelihood.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
His SUV was stolen on Montreal's South Shore. Then he got a $156 parking ticket
A couple is frustrated after their SUV was stolen from Montreal's South Shore in March and they received a parking ticket for the same vehicle last week.
Evacuation orders lifted in Fort McMurray Saturday as rain dampens wildfire activity
Residents of Fort of McMurray who were displaced over wildfire concerns were told to return home Saturday.
Member of Israel's War Cabinet says he'll quit June 8 unless there's new war plan
Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-member War Cabinet, threatened on Saturday to resign from the government if it doesn't adopt a new plan in three weeks' time for the war in Gaza.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Scottie Scheffler, from the course to jail and back: What to know about his PGA Championship arrest
Two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested after police say he dragged an officer while trying to get around the scene of a fatal accident Friday ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship.