10.8 percent of newly registered vehicles in Canada in 2023 were so-called zero-emission models. This is the first time the 10-percent mark has been passed, according to Statistics Canada figures.
A “zero-emission” vehicle (ZEV) is a product that is all-electric, or benefits from a plug-in hybrid configuration.
In an encouraging sign, sales growth picked up speed in the last quarter of the year, with 12 percent of new-car buyers opting for a ZEV.
In 2023, zero-emission vehicles accounted for 184,578 registrations, out of a total of 1.7 million.
Not surprisingly, almost half of all electric vehicles were registered in either Quebec or British Columbia. In Quebec, 77,083 vehicles were registered, while in British Columbia the total was 42,611. Perhaps surprisingly, Ontario, where only the federal EV discount applies, recorded 49,803 transactions.
While the absolute number of electric vehicle sales is higher in Quebec than in British Columbia, it is in the latter that the percentage of EV sales (compared to total vehicle sales) was highest in 2023, at 20.2 percent. This compares to 18.6 percent in Quebec and 7.4 percent in Ontario. Early this year, the percentage in Quebec also rose above the 20-percent mark.
PHEVs on the rise
Want more numbers? All-electric vehicles accounted for 75.6 percent of sales of zero-emission models, compared with 24.4 percent for plug-in hybrids. However, plug-in hybrids saw a greater increase in sales in 2023, rising by 80.5 percent.
It's safe to assume that the greater availability of plug-in hybrids in recent years has played a role in this statistic.
Fully electric vehicles, meanwhile, saw growth of 41.5 percent in 2023, compared with 2022.
Growth is expected to continue in 2024, but the question will be whether the pace of that growth accelerates or starts to flatten a little.
