According to new data from Statistics Canada, year-over-year zero-emission vehicle registrations have jumped up 4.6%. Hybrid vehicle numbers doubled year-over-year while EV vehicles saw a 0.9% increase. Overall, Canadians registered 11.8% more cars in Q1 2021 than Q1 2020.
As per Electric Autonomy reporting, Canadians registered 12,693 EVs, 14,728 hybrids and 4,592 plug-in hybrids between January and March 2021.
Although British Columbia and Quebec continue to lead overall zero-emission vehicle registration, the second tier markets saw the most significant growth. Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island all saw substantial increases in 2021.
For the first time, Statistics Canada released local breakdowns of ZEV registrations. Vancouver led the way with 4,500 vehicles, with Montreal following with 3,633 vehicles and Toronto with 1,875. However, the data notes that outside of these metropolitan areas, ZEV registration drops significantly. For instance, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Reginal all had ZEV registrations under 100. Interestingly, 13 vehicles were registered in the Territories, with 12 in Whitehorse and one in Yellowknife.
