Most Canadians would like a extra open automobile market with extra reasonably priced electrical choices, in accordance with a brand new survey performed by Abacus Information on behalf of Clear Vitality Canada.
With regards to the closely publicized 100% tariff on Chinese language EVs, 53% of Canadians say they would like a decrease tariff that balances business safety and client affordability, much like Europe, whereas 29% help eradicating the tariff altogether as a way to decrease prices and keep away from commerce retaliation from China. Solely 19% of Canadians say they would like retaining in place a 100% tariff on Chinese language EVs.
There’s little distinction of opinion on this query between voters of every political get together, with help for the present tariff starting from 15% amongst NDP voters to 23% amongst Conservative, suggesting a powerful cross-partisan consensus.
Respondents have been additionally offered with one other manner Canada may open up its automobile market: permitting on the market any automobile that has handed security and environmental requirements in Europe. This might improve the supply of automobile manufacturers and fashions in Canada, together with some smaller, extra reasonably priced EVs. The concept is overwhelmingly fashionable, with 70% help and solely 10% opposition.
A measure already applied in Canada was additionally put to the survey: tailpipe emission requirements, which require carmakers to enhance the gasoline effectivity of the automobiles they promote yearly. President Trump is within the means of weakening these requirements, whereas California is preventing to keep up them in sure states.
A stable majority (58%) of Canadians imagine Canada ought to uphold its present tailpipe emission requirements, in step with these set by Biden and supported by California, whereas solely 18% help weakening our requirements to align with the U.S. below Trump.
Lastly, 45% of Canadians say they’re sure, very seemingly, or inclined to buy an EV as their subsequent automobile, representing a 13-point lower in comparison with when this query was requested in 2022. Curiosity, nonetheless, varies considerably primarily based on age and site. Majorities in Quebec (55%) and B.C. (53%) are nonetheless inclined to go electrical over gasoline, in addition to these aged 18 to 29 (57%) and 30 to 44 (52%).
Curiosity is even larger in Canada’s giant city areas. In a survey of the Higher Toronto Hamilton Space (pattern measurement: 1,500) and Metro Vancouver (pattern measurement: 1,500) performed between November 2024 and January 2025, additionally by Abacus Information on behalf of Clear Vitality Canada, seven in 10 respondents (69%) within the Metro Vancouver area favoured EVs.
Within the GTHA, which has far decrease EV uptake than Metro Vancouver, 55% of respondents nonetheless most well-liked getting an EV over a gasoline automobile, whereas that quantity elevated to 62% when offered with plenty of info about EVs, suggesting a level of persuadability.
QUOTE
“The query for governments shouldn’t be whether or not Canadians wish to go electrical. It’s all the time been the case that so many do—particularly youthful Canadians. The query is how can we decrease the obstacles stopping them from doing so. And the largest barrier, by far, is sticker value. The world has high-quality, lower-cost electrical automobiles, and it’s clear that Canadians want to get their fingers on them.”
—Trevor Melanson, director of communications, Clear Vitality Canada
The survey was performed with 2,585 Canadians from June 2 to five, 2025. A random pattern of panelists have been invited to finish the survey from a set of accomplice panels primarily based on the Lucid trade platform. These companions are usually double opt-in survey panels, blended to handle out potential skews within the knowledge from a single supply. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random pattern of the identical measurement is +/- 1.92%, 19 occasions out of 20. The info have been weighted in accordance with census knowledge to make sure that the pattern matched Canada’s inhabitants in accordance with age, gender, and area. Totals could not add as much as 100 attributable to rounding.
