Clean Energy Canada recommends that carmakers “receive extra credits under the system for selling EVs below a price point of $40,000, the maximum price most Canadians wish to spend on a new car. Many of these vehicles already exist, being sold in markets such as Europe.”1 The group commissioned Abacus Data to poll 3,000 people in Canada’s two largest English-speaking urban and suburban centres, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and Metro Vancouver. They found that, overall, 59% are inclined to buy an EV as their next car. That figure was 69% in Vancouver, where adoption is much higher. However, 73% are unwilling to spend more than $40,000 upfront on a new ZEV.2
For comparison’s sake, in Europe, 21 EV models are priced less than the equivalent of CAD $40,000, “and only one of those cars, a small, relatively low-range Fiat, is available in Canada (it is the only sub-$40,000 EV available in Canada, period).”3
1 Rachel Doran, “Mark Carney could make it easier for us to buy EVs if he wanted. Right now he’s making it harder”, Clean Energy Canada, 11 September 2025. Retrieved on 28 September 2025 from https://cleanenergycanada.org/mark-carney-could-make-it-easier-for-us-to-buy-evs-if-he-wanted-right-now-hes-making-it-harder/ . (Hyperlinks omitted.)
2 “Empowering Households: The small but mighty household is key to unlocking the energy transition, but doing so starts with understanding people. While interest in clean technologies is high, barriers keep many would-be adopters at bay”, Clean Energy Canada, 4 September 2024. Retrieved on 28 September 2025 from https://cleanenergycanada.org/report/empowering-households/
3 “Missing Out Europe enjoys 21 electric vehicles selling for less than $40,000 Canadian. Only one of them is available in Canada”, Clean Energy Canada, September 2025. Retrieved on 28 September 2025 from https://cleanenergycanada.org/report/missing-out/