A new electric vehicle (EV) survey in Canada by Rates.ca has been published and the results are encouraging for EV adoption, but cost remains a giant hurdle for consumers.
The car insurance quote company has seen a 40% increase in EV quotes in March alone, and this new Leger survey has helped determine whether interest in electric vehicles is rising.
Per the survey, 30% of Canadians are open to buying an EV. However, just more than half of those who responded positively, or 17%, are looking to buy one in the next five years.
In terms of barriers to entry, the top five responses to the survey were:
- 59% said the purchase price of the EV
- 54% noted concerns around driving range
- 45% cited the cost of repairs and maintenance of an EV
- 28% said the lack of government subsidies or incentives
- 23% claimed there were concerns around the cost of insurance
Which means there is still more to do to educate the public on EVs, the true cost of ownership and range anxiety.
The survey also examined the Government of Canada’s new quota-and-permit system for importing 49,000 Chinese EVs into the market, as well as public reaction to it.
Per the survey, 56% of respondents would consider purchasing a Chinese EV. With 31% saying they would do so because of the affordability, or they were open to trying emerging brands. Interestingly, not a single negative answer eclipsed 10% with maintenance costs, wanting to buy from another brand, geopolitical concerns and data privacy concerns rounding out the top four answers.
You can read the full results of the Rates.ca survey here.
