Latest news with #ElectricMobilityCanada
CBC
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Tesla registrations down 90 per cent in Quebec in 1st quarter of 2025
Social Sharing Quebec EV buyers' relationship with Tesla is showing signs of souring as sales in the province plummeted in the first quarter of 2025. Only 524 Teslas were registered in Quebec between Jan. 1 and March 31, according to Quebec's auto insurance board, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec. That's a 90 per cent drop from the previous quarter when 5,097 of the electric automaker's cars were registered in the province, as first reported by Le Devoir. The data, also obtained by CBC News, shows that Tesla registrations in Quebec — Canada's largest EV market, including for Tesla — rose 30 per cent from 2023 to 2024 before nosediving in early 2025. And though CEO Elon Musk and his involvement in the Trump administration has "absolutely" had an impact on sales, says Daniel Breton, president of Electric Mobility Canada, the reasons go beyond a general dislike of the EV company's founder, with tariffs and rebate cutbacks likely contributing to the decline. The federal EV rebate program Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) ended March 31, and Quebec's program was paused between Feb. 1 and April 1. Quebec-based EV buyers used to be able to stack the rebates, benefitting from as much as $12,000 off the cost of a new vehicle. "Some dealers told me that … basically the message was, well, wait until April," said Breton, whose group is focused on advocacy for electric transportation. "Because the [provincial] rebate was about to come back." Breton believes more fulsome data for the same time period will show that Tesla isn't the only EV maker to take a hit in Quebec's market. According to preliminary S&P Global data, electric vehicle registrations in Quebec declined 65 per cent. Also hurting sales could be the 25 per cent tariff on U.S.-made EVs, including Tesla, Rivian and Lucid cars, imposed by the federal government in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's levies. "Now that the [Quebec] rebate is back, we'll see what happens with the sales of EVs in general and Tesla in particular," said Breton, who has owned a Model 3 Tesla for four years. "I'm really disappointed in what Elon Musk has been doing for the past year or two. So I hope that they find a way to resolve this," he said. "To me, Elon Musk is really hurting the brand." The combined effect of Musk's politics and tariffs have been felt outside of Quebec, with Tesla sales dropping 49 per cent year-over-year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. WATCH | Tesla and Canadian politics: Tesla caught in political controversy amid U.S. imposed tariffs on Canadian imports 2 months ago Duration 3:40 This week, the Vancouver International Auto Show removed U.S. electric carmaker Tesla from its event following reports of vandalism and protests at Tesla dealerships in B.C. and across Canada. Sean Thompson, the co-owner of Factor E, a Canadian company that repairs electric vehicles and has recently started buying and selling Teslas, says business has been rough. In addition to working for the Trump administration, which has repeatedly threatened Canadian sovereignty and imposed damaging tariffs that have upended financial markets, Musk has made dismissive comments about Canada, including saying on X — the social media platform he owns — that it is "not a real country." He has also faced significant criticism for amplifying and endorsing racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories on X and made a gesture at Trump's inauguration many interpreted as a Nazi salute. And Tesla is also under investigation in Canada after the company claimed to have sold 8,653 vehicles in the last three days of the federal rebate program, which would have amounted to $43 million in rebate claims. That questionable number raised suspicions, leading to the probe by the federal government. Despite some of the current concerns, Anne Picard, a Tesla Model Y owner from Dorval, Que., has owned two Teslas for eight years — and says she wouldn't buy anything else. "I don't have enough trust in [other companies] to give the same level of reliability," she said. She said anyone who can should buy an electric vehicle and believes EV consumers should separate their political convictions from their consumer decisions. "The electric vehicle wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for Elon Musk," said Picard, who works in IT project management, after parking her Tesla at Montreal's Jean Talon Market. Philippe Bergeron Bélanger, who was charging his electric Audi Q4 in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood Thursday, said he, too, tries to "leave politics out of my choices," but he won't be replacing his car with a Tesla when its lease is up in a year and a half. Chinese EVs once provided an affordable alternative, Bergeron Bélanger noted, but not since Canada slapped more than 100 per cent tariffs on those cars. "I don't feel like having an awkward debate at family dinners or with friends. Otherwise, [Tesla] probably would have been in my top three," said Bergeron Bélanger, who is a managing partner at an investment firm and says he doesn't agree with Musk's actions but is making the choice more based on how polarizing owning the car itself has become. Picard, on the other hand, believes that will blow over soon — if it hasn't already. " C'est un feu de paille," she said, using a French expression that translates to "straw fire" and is the equivalent of "a flash in the pan."
CBC
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
1 in 4 new cars sold in 2025 will be electric, new report says, and China is the undisputed EV leader
More than one in four cars sold worldwide in 2025 will be electric, according to the latest projections from the International Energy Agency, and will reach 40 per cent of all new cars by 2030. Among major markets, the undisputed leader is China, whose new EV sales increased 40 per cent year over year in 2024. About half of all new cars sold in the country last year were electric, accounting for 11 million out of the 17 million new EVs sold worldwide. Meanwhile, sales growth was flat in Europe and just 10 per cent in the U.S. Behind the numbers, the IEA's annual Global EV Outlook shows how China's decades of investment have paid off, while also making electric cars more affordable for buyers in developing countries around the world. In Europe and the U.S., EV sales faced challenges because of significantly more expensive cars and scaled-back EV rebates, but remain on a long-term upward trajectory. "We're not going back, no matter what some people might say or think. We are moving in the transition to EVs," said Daniel Breton, president of Electric Mobility Canada, an industry association. Relatively affordable Chinese EVs also drove up sales by 60 per cent in emerging economies in Asia, Latin America and Africa. In Canada, EVs grew their market share, rising to 17 per cent of all new cars sold in 2024, up from 13 per cent in 2023. Last year, 252,000 fully electric or plug-in hybrid electric cars were sold in Canada. But EV manufacturing remains small here, at just 25,000 cars annually. How China dominates China's success in EVs has been decades in the making, according to James Jackson, research fellow at the University of Manchester who has an upcoming book on the political economy of the EV transition. And to understand China's reasoning for its heavy investment in the industry, he says, one must take into account the symbolic value of domestic car manufacturing, in addition to the economic benefits. "If you go and buy a BYD, you are then testament to superior Chinese manufacturing, and you will therefore by extension be symbolizing Chinese development, that it is not this import-dependent, predominantly agriculture-based economy," he said, referring to the popular Chinese EV brand. "They are the ascendant power now." Because the car sector is so tied into a country's self-image as an industrial power, Jackson said, Beijing went all in on EVs, entering an industry that was otherwise dominated by companies in Europe, North America and Japan. By the early 2000s, China's central and state governments were pouring subsidies into EV companies, many of which failed initially. But this also led to heavy competition between the startups, Jackson says, driving down EV prices and eventually creating a company like BYD, the world's largest EV maker, which is busy expanding abroad even as it faces steep tariffs in the U.S. and Canada. In 2024, two-thirds of the new EVs sold in China were actually cheaper than their equivalent gas-powered cars, according to the report. Part of BYD's — and China's — success is the vertically integrated business model. The country also dominates in making the batteries, sourcing their minerals and financing for car buyers. According to the IEA report, China accounts for 70 per cent of global EV production. BYD even has its own ships for exporting its cars. The result: Today, BYD has electric cars priced as low as $11,000. Where does that leave Canada? The report warned of the impacts of the U.S. President Donald Trump's trade and tariff threats on the EV market. In response, Canada has slapped 25 per cent tariffs on certain vehicles and parts imported from the U.S. But Electric Mobility Canada has put out a new report showing that most electric cars are not subject to these counter-tariffs, as most EVs sold in Canada come from Europe and South Korea, not the U.S. WATCH | How Canada's tariffs on Chinese EVs could impact competition: The potential impact of Canada's new tariff on China-made EVs 9 months ago Duration 2:07 The association recommends that Canada should maintain its EV Availability Standard, which eventually requires companies to sell only electric cars in the country by 2035. Hongyu Xiao, a transportation analyst at the Pembina Institute, a Canadian clean energy think-tank, says widespread adoption of EVs is crucial for Canada to meet its climate goals. Transportation is the second-largest emitting sector in the country, after oil and gas. "The climate benefits of the EV are in fact even more pronounced [in Canada] because we are not burning coal or a lot of gas to power the EV. We are using a lot of nuclear, hydro, renewable energy," he said. Apart from sales targets, Xiao said, the government should restore its EV incentive program, which provided up to $5,000 toward an EV purchase. Ottawa ended that program earlier this year, although some provinces have continued their rebates. On the manufacturing front, Xiao suggested that Canada has an advantage in terms of critical minerals for batteries, and could attract carmakers as the U.S. pulls back. But the government would need to pave the way for companies by designing regulations making it easier for them to invest in Canada But ultimately, the EV industry — and carmaking as a whole — will likely be largely led by China into the future, Jackson says. Legacy car companies will have to figure out where they fit into China's supply chain, Jackson said, or explore niches in the car market where companies like BYD don't dominate. "There will still be Volkswagen and Ford and Peugeot in the next 20, 30, maybe 50 I think they'll be operating at a completely different scale in terms of how much cars they're producing."
CBC
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Faster isn't always better. Slow-charging EVs could have big benefits
Social Sharing When Julia McNally decided to buy an EV and started her research, she came across a lot of articles and ads pushing an apparent must-have accessory — a speedy home charger designed specifically for EVs. "Everything was pointing me to Level 2," recalled McNally, director of climate action at Toronto Hydro. She knew that all EVs can do Level 1 slow charging, or "trickle charging," from a regular 120-volt wall outlet, adding about six kilometres of range per hour. And she already had one of those in her backyard, near the alleyway where she planned to park her new Mini EV. But more than four out of five U.S. EV owners used Level 2 for home-charging in 2023, according to market research firm J.D. Power. Using a higher 240 voltage, often needed for a stove or dryer, Level 2 chargers can add about 30 to 50 kilometres of range per hour and refill a typical EV's entire 400-kilometre range overnight. Meanwhile, Level 3, or DC fast chargers, often installed along major highways, can add up to 250 kilometres of range per hour and charge a battery to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. Why faster may not be better Some experts, such as Daniel Breton, CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, have argued people "really need" Level 2 chargers at home, as it can take days to charge an empty battery to full at Level 1. But most people don't drive the hundreds of kilometres needed to empty their battery each day — and there's a downside to faster charging. "You're adding cost," McNally said — potentially thousands of dollars. Installing a Level 2 charger requires a licensed electrician, she said. In Toronto, it means consulting with Toronto Hydro and the Electrical Safety Authority. And homeowners often will need to increase the size of their electrical panel, adding additional costs. But it's something more Canadians may be thinking about soon, amid Canada's zero-emission vehicle mandate, requiring that 20 per cent of cars, vans and light trucks sold in Canada be electric, hybrid or hydrogen-powered cars by next year. The goal is to reach 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had vowed to scrap the target if elected, but with a Liberal re-election, the target still stands. WATCH | Can northern power grids handle electric vehicles and heat?: Can northern power grids handle electric vehicles and heat? 5 months ago Duration 2:33 Level 2 charging isn't just more expensive and logistically difficult for individual EV owners. In some Canadian communities, the aging electrical grid may not be able to handle too much Level 2 charging at once. For example, a recent Yukon University study found that if more northerners install Level 2 chargers and electric heating, that could cause problems for transformers — a key piece of equipment in local electricity distribution networks. At the time of the study, published last December, there were only 88 EVs in all of Yukon, and half of them were plug-in hybrids. Blake Shaffer, a University of Calgary associate professor, studied the situation in his community with local utility Enmax. He previously told CBC News that electricity distribution networks would need "significant" upgrades in order for all EV drivers to be able to charge at Level 2. "That's where the real challenge of EVs comes about," he said, noting high costs for both individuals and electric utilities. McNally says Toronto Hydro has adequate capacity for "whatever EVs and heat pumps come at us." She acknowledged, however, that in cases where someone does ask Toronto Hydro for extra capacity "you need to pay for the upgrades." Meanwhile, Level 1 takes advantage of wall outlets that people often already have, including residents of apartments or condo buildings. In colder parts of Canada, many parking spaces have a plug intended for block heaters. (Although tenants may have to negotiate with their landlord to use it for charging.) WATCH | This electric vehicle owner says tenants who pay hydro should be able to plug in: 6 months ago Duration 3:25 Renters might find themselves in uncharted legal territory if their landlord wants to make them pay for charging their electric vehicles — even if electricity is included in their lease. Many people don't need Level 2 at home Living in Toronto, McNally doesn't drive 400 kilometres a day; typically, she only covers 600 kilometres in an entire month. So she knew that Level 1 charging was probably good enough for her needs. That's not unusual — even outside Canada's largest city. Shaffer studied the driving and parking habits of 129 EV drivers in Calgary from December 2021 to December 2022. (While that was during the tail end of the pandemic, Statistics Canada reports very similar commute times in Calgary in 2022 and 2024.) The study found 29 per cent of drivers only ever needed Level 1 charging because they drove very little relative to the time they were parked. Another 53 per cent could use Level 1 most of the time, but might need to visit a public Level 2 or fast charging station up to once per month to top off their battery. WATCH | Canada needs more charging stations to hit EV targets: Canada needs more charging stations to hit EV targets 1 year ago Duration 1:59 The City of Vancouver estimates that the average driver can meet their daily driving needs in under four hours using a Level 1 charger and in about 45 minutes using a Level 2 charger. Either of those is plenty of time if people have a place to park and charge overnight. Level 1 can even work for drivers in rural communities. Rob van Adrichem lives in Prince George, B.C., and got an electric car this past summer. He only has Level 1 charging at home, but tops up at Level 2 chargers at the park or the library in town if he needs to. "I'm finding Level 1 is no problem," he said. "I think people get scared off on Level 2s because they think it's going to be thousands of dollars and I don't know that it's always necessary." Ali Mohazab is co-founder of a startup called Parkizio Technologies that helps people such as apartment dwellers access electricity for charging. He said people thinking about switching to an EV may imagine doing a variation of what they did with their gas car: driving to empty and then going to a gas station and filling the entire tank — something they're forced to do because they don't have a gas pump at their home. Mohazab said that "gas mentality" may not allow people to see that with an EV, "every parking opportunity is a charging opportunity" and it doesn't matter if you charge faster so your battery is full at 1 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. when you leave for work — you can just leave it plugged in overnight. He added, "If you kind of look at your car as a, you know, cell phone with wheels, then it really makes sense." McNally has found that she doesn't even need to charge every day, even at Level 1. "I charge about once a week," she said. "Couldn't be easier." But how can you tell if Level 1 will be enough for you? Level 1 is probably enough for most people, Mohazab says, except those who drive all day for work, such as Uber drivers. McNally suggests this rule of thumb: "If you drive less than 60 kilometres a day, you are probably just fine with the regular plug that is already at your house." She recommends that new EV owners start with Level 1 to keep things cheap and simple. "Start there, see how it works, learn your patterns — and then if you really want Level 2, you can add that cost later."
