Electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Canada has been increasing in recent years, but there is still a large percentage of the population, both rural and suburban, that is hesitant to make the switch to electric.
A new survey has shed light on why those Canadians haven’t made the switch, and what can be done to help get them there.
The survey, conducted by Leger for the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturer’s Association (CVMA), found that 51% of rural Canadians surveyed felt a lack of charging infrastructure in Canada was keeping them from buying electric.
Living in a city didn’t change that sentiment much, with 46% of urban respondents saying they were also worried about charging infrastructure.
But the survey found the biggest barrier to increasing adoption among all Canadians is limited driving range and the higher purchase price of EVs compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) cars.
Less than 25% of rural Canadians surveyed said they could afford to purchase an EV for their next car. When compared to urban Canadians, rural residents are less likely to spend more than $5,000 extra for an EV over an equivalent gas car.
David Adams, President & CEO of the Global Automakers of Canada (GAC) said the government needs to do more to improve charging infrastructure across the country. He also feels the government needs to do in terms of incentives to overcome the price barrier and help people switch to electric.
“Canada will not achieve its ambitious electric vehicle sales targets without significantly more investments in charging infrastructure, sustained incentives funding and favourable EV tax policies” said Adams.
The results are based on the responses of over 2,000 Canadians surveyed between March 19-27, 2021.
