Charge up your engines, Canada! In 2024, zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) saw a landmark year, with sales hitting record highs and provinces racing to the top with their financial rebate programs. As the country shifts gears towards a greener future, let’s take a closer look at how ZEVs are driving change across the country.
Statistics Canada recently published annual data for 2024 from the New Motor Vehicle Sales Survey, which tracks the number and value of new motor vehicles sold in the country each month. For the first time, the annual report also includes data on ZEVs, going back to January 2024.
Chart 1: New motor vehicle sales by zero-emission vehicle status
Description - Chart 1: New motor vehicle sales by zero-emission vehicle status
The title of the chart is “New motor vehicle sales by zero-emission vehicle status.”
This is a vertical bar chart.
The vertical axis represents the units sold, from 0 to 200,000, by increments of 25,000.
The horizontal axis represents the months of the year, from January 2024 to December 2024.
There are two bars for each month, the first bar representing all vehicles, and the second bar representing zero-emission vehicles.
At period January 2024, the first bar is at 118,094, and the second bar is at 11,014.
At period February 2024, the first bar is at 136,410, and the second bar is at 14,534.
At period March 2024, the first bar is at 173,465, and the second bar is at 22,865.
At period April 2024, the first bar is at 175,815, and the second bar is at 20,601.
At period May 2024, the first bar is at 185,178, and the second bar is at 22,612.
At period June 2024, the first bar is at 166,941, and the second bar is at 21,731.
At period July 2024, the first bar is at 168,310, and the second bar is at 20,989.
At period August 2024, the first bar is at 166,513, and the second bar is at 23,250.
At period September 2024, the first bar is at 166,757, and the second bar is at 30,318.
At period October 2024, the first bar is at 164,692, and the second bar is at 25,089.
At period November 2024, the first bar is at 161,535, and the second bar is at 26,487.
At period December 2024, the first bar is at 135,511, and the second bar is at 24,787.
Source(s): Table 20-10-0001-01.
Zero-emission vehicle sales peak in September 2024
In 2024, over 264,000 ZEVs were sold in Canada, valued at $17.3 billion. Unlike overall new sales, which hit their highest point in May, ZEV sales peaked in September, with 30,318 units sold. ZEV sales were noticeably stronger in the second half of 2024, as new models hit the market. Additionally, some provincial rebates were set to be reduced in 2025, prompting a flurry of ZEV purchases as consumers rushed to take advantage of the larger rebates.
Chart 2: Zero-emission vehicle sales, by province and month
Description - Chart 2: Zero-emission vehicle sales, by province and month
The title of the chart is “Zero-emission vehicle sales by province and month.”
This is vertical stacked bar chart.
The vertical axis represents the units sold, from 0 to 35,000, by increments of 5,000.
The horizontal axis represents the month of the year, from January 2024 to December 2024.
There is one bar for each month, and each bar contains four series, from bottom to top. The first series represents Quebec, the second series represents Ontario, the third series represents British Columbia and the territories, and the fourth series represents all other provinces.
At period January 2024, the first series is at 5,243, the second series is at 2,397, the third series is at 2,506 and the fourth series is at 868.
At period February 2024, the first series is at 7,199, the second series is at 3,433, the third series is at 4,489 and the fourth series is at 1,651.
At period March 2024, the first series is at 11,294, the second series is at 5,431, the third series is at 2,856 and the fourth series is at 1,046.
At period April 2024, the first series is at 11,294, the second series is at 5,431, the third series is at 2,856 and the fourth series is at 1,046.
At period May 2024, the first series is at 11861, the second series is at 5,172, the third series is at 3,819 and the fourth series is at 1,760.
At period June 2024, the first series is at 10,932, the second series is at 4,778, the third series is at 4,202 and the fourth series is at 1,819.
At period July 2024, the first series is at 11,600, the second series is at 4,168, the third series is at 3,447 and the fourth series is at 1,774.
At period August 2024, the first series is at 13,130, the second series is at 4,159, the third series is at 4,122 and the fourth series is at 1,839.
At period September 2024, the first series is at 15,327, the second series is at 7,317, the third series is at 5,146 and the fourth series is at 2,528.
At period October 2024, the first series is at 15,350, the second series is at 4,889, the third series is at 2,909 and the fourth series is at 1,941.
At period November 2024, the first series is at 15,031, the second series is at 5,259, the third series is at 4,050 and the fourth series is at 2,147.
At period December 2024, the first series is at 14,944, the second series is at 4,881, the third series is at 3,245 and the fourth series is at 1,717.
Source(s): Table 20-10-0001-01.
Quebec leads Canada in zero-emission vehicle sales
In 2024, over half (53.9%) of all ZEVs sold in Canada were purchased in Quebec. This was mainly because of the province’s rebate program, Roulez vert, which offered rebates of up to $7,000 on ZEV purchases. Combined with federal rebates of up to $5,000, consumers could have saved up to $12,000 on ZEVs purchased in Quebec. ZEV sales in that province saw a big jump in the last few months of 2024, as consumers rushed to take advantage of the provincial rebates before their planned reduction to $4,000 in January 2025.
Proportion of zero-emission vehicle sales highest in Quebec, British Columbia and the territories
Approximately one in seven new motor vehicles (13.8%) sold in Canada in 2024 were ZEVs. However, this overall number hides some big differences between provinces. This proportion was highest in Quebec, where ZEVs accounted for 3 in 10 new vehicle sales (30.1%).
British Columbia and the territories had the second-highest proportion, where over one in five new vehicle purchases (20.7%) were ZEVs. Like Quebec, British Columbia offers a provincial rebate on ZEV purchases. The program gives British Columbia residents up to $4,000 in provincial rebates, depending on factors like the type of vehicle bought and annual income.
ZEVs made up 7.8% of new vehicles sold in Prince Edward Island, followed by Ontario (7.4%), Nova Scotia (6.5%), New Brunswick (5.7%), Manitoba (4.9%), Alberta (4.2%), Newfoundland and Labrador (2.6%) and Saskatchewan (2.5%).
Significant changes to the zero-emission vehicle market expected in the first quarter of 2025
The ZEV market is expected to have undergone significant changes in the first quarter of 2025, due to the suspension of the federal rebate program and the reduction—and temporary suspension—of Quebec’s ZEV rebates. Additional information on ZEV sales for 2025 will be made available through the monthly new motor vehicle sales data table.
Note to readers
The term “zero-emission vehicle” (ZEV) refers to any motor vehicle that has the potential to produce no tailpipe emissions. The ZEV category includes battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Check out the New Motor Vehicle Sales Survey for more information on its data sources and methodology.
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Contact information
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