EV Purchase Consideration Holds Steady in Canada but Brand Preferences Shift Significantly, J.D. Power Finds

Business Wire

29-05-2025

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The percentage of new-vehicle shoppers in Canada who say they are 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' to consider an electric vehicle (EV) for their next purchase has held steady at 28% year over year, down a single percentage point from 2024, even as the country's Incentives for Zero Emissions Vehicles (iZEV) rebate program has been paused, according to the J.D. Power 2025 Canada Electric Vehicle Consideration (EVC) Study, SM released today.
However, the overall stability in consideration hides some significant shifts in underlying market dynamics. Nearly half (42%) of new-vehicle shoppers who overall say they are likely to consider an EV, also say that the pause in the $5,000 per vehicle incentive program would negatively affect their likelihood to shop for an EV. What's more, in the province of Quebec where EV incentives were temporarily paused in February and March 2025, consideration declined 8 percentage points while increasing 2 percentage points in the rest of Canada. Additionally, there has been a significant shakeup in the lineup of the most frequently considered EV brands.
'Despite a great deal of volatility in the EV marketplace, overall consumer interest in EVs at a topline level is largely unchanged this year,' said J.D. Ney, director of the automotive practice at J.D. Power Canada. "What is noteworthy, though, is the reaction to the incentive landscape, and perhaps more importantly for manufacturers, the shift in consumer interest toward traditional brands. Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet are now the top five most-considered brands among new-vehicle shoppers who say they are 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' to consider an EV. Tesla, which had been among the top two EV brands considered in the study for the past four years, has fallen to eighth place among likely EV shoppers—down 16 percentage points year over year—while among all other brands combined the average gain is half a percentage point.'
Following are key findings of the 2025 study:
EV consideration steady, but still less than half that of U.S. market: The percentage of new-vehicle shoppers in Canada who say they are 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' to consider an EV for their next vehicle purchase is 28%, which is down from 29% a year ago and down from 34% in 2023. In the United States, 1 by contrast, the number of shoppers who say they are either 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' to consider an EV is 59% this year, unchanged from 2024.
Shuffle in the ranks of most-considered EV brands: The top five most-considered EV brands among likely EV buyers in this year's study are Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet. Tesla falls six positions to eighth place among those who say they are 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' to consider an EV.
iZEV program pause weighs on significant number of EV shoppers: When asked whether the iZEV program—which offered a $5,000 rebate on the purchase of an EV and which was indefinitely paused in January—has affected their EV purchase consideration, 42% of new-vehicle shoppers who were likely to consider an EV say it had a negative effect on their decision, while 28% said the pause was more or less neutral in terms of the effect on their decision.
Widespread pessimism that Canada will meet 2035 vehicle emissions target: The Canadian government committed to achieve 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035 for all new light-duty vehicles. The majority (75%) of new-vehicle shoppers say they are 'not at all confident' or 'not very confident' that the target will be achieved.
The Canada Electric Vehicle Consideration (EVC) Study is an annual industry benchmark for gauging EV shopper consideration. Study content includes overall EV consideration by geography; demographics; vehicle experience and use; lifestyle; and psychographics. It also includes model-level consideration details such as cross-shopping and 'why buy' findings and analysis of reasons for EV rejection. This year's study measured responses from 3,979 new-vehicle shoppers and was fielded in March-April 2025.
For more information about the Canada Electric Vehicle Consideration (EVC) Study, visit https://canada.jdpower.com/industries/automotive/canada-electric-vehicle-consideration-evc-study.
See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2025055.
About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modelling capabilities to understand consumer behaviour, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.
J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit https://canada.jdpower.com/.