Less than half of Canadians say they will buy an electric vehicle as their next car: survey

A recent survey shows not all Canadians are ready to make the switch to an electric vehicle as they have concerns about charging stations, cold weather and battery life.

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.