Overview
- Statistics Canada, which published the figures Thursday, reported 21,574 zero-emission vehicles sold in March for a 74.7% jump and a 12.2% share, even as total new-vehicle sales fell 6.6% to 176,500.
- Gas prices climbed sharply in recent weeks, with Kalibrate pegging the national average at $1.98 per litre on Thursday after a 40% rise since late February.
- Analysts link the price spike to the war in Iran and bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.
- Ottawa reintroduced consumer incentives in February that offer up to $5,000 per eligible EV, backed by $2.3 billion over five years with the richest support in 2026.
- Interest is spilling into shopping behavior, with EV insurance quote searches up 40% at Rates.ca and used-car platform Clutch reporting a 54% jump in EV searches, even as TD Bank notes 2025 auto production fell 5.4% and warns of tariff and trade-review risks.