Most Canadians would like a extra open automobile market with extra inexpensive electrical choices, in response to a brand new survey carried out 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 trade safety and client affordability, just like Europe, whereas 29% help eradicating the tariff altogether with the intention to decrease prices and keep away from commerce retaliation from China. Solely 19% of Canadians say they would like conserving in place a 100% tariff on Chinese language EVs.
There may be little distinction of opinion on this query between voters of every political celebration, with help for the present tariff starting from 15% amongst NDP voters to 23% amongst Conservative, suggesting a robust cross-partisan consensus.
Respondents had been additionally introduced with one other manner Canada might open up its automobile market: permitting on the market any automobile that has handed security and environmental requirements in Europe. This may enhance the provision of automobile manufacturers and fashions in Canada, together with some smaller, extra inexpensive EVs. The concept is overwhelmingly fashionable, with 70% help and solely 10% opposition.
A measure already carried out in Canada was additionally put to the survey: tailpipe emission requirements, which require carmakers to enhance the gas effectivity of the automobiles they promote yearly. President Trump is within the technique of weakening these requirements, whereas California is preventing to take care of them in sure states.
A stable majority (58%) of Canadians imagine Canada ought to uphold its present tailpipe emission requirements, consistent with these set by Biden and supported by California, whereas solely 18% help weakening our requirements to align with the U.S. beneath Trump.
Lastly, 45% of Canadians say they’re sure, very probably, 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, nevertheless, varies considerably primarily based on age and placement. Majorities in Quebec (55%) and B.C. (53%) are nonetheless inclined to go electrical over fuel, in addition to these aged 18 to 29 (57%) and 30 to 44 (52%).
Curiosity is even greater 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) carried out 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 fuel automobile, whereas that quantity elevated to 62% when introduced with quite a few information 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 boundaries stopping them from doing so. And the most important barrier, by far, is sticker worth. The world has high-quality, lower-cost electrical automobiles, and it’s clear that Canadians wish to get their arms on them.”
—Trevor Melanson, director of communications, Clear Vitality Canada
The survey was carried out with 2,585 Canadians from June 2 to five, 2025. A random pattern of panelists had been invited to finish the survey from a set of associate panels primarily based on the Lucid alternate platform. These companions are sometimes 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 instances out of 20. The info had been weighted in response to census knowledge to make sure that the pattern matched Canada’s inhabitants in response to age, gender, and area. Totals might not add as much as 100 as a result of rounding.
