Two-thirds of Canadians (66%) support keeping in place some version of Canada’s currently paused Electric Vehicle Availability Standard—often referred to as the EV mandate—though many would like to see some changes.
Only 27% of Canadians do not wish to see any federal requirement for more electric vehicles. Others are split on an appropriate level of ambition: 16% want the policy to be even more ambitious, 24% want to keep the policy more or less the same, and 26% say the policy should be less rigid or easier to achieve.
Majorities of younger Canadians show notably stronger support for the EV mandate, with 58% of those aged 18 to 29 wanting the policy to maintain or increase its ambition and 55% of those aged 30 to 44 feeling likewise.
With the prospect of lowering tariffs on Chinese EVs and allowing in European cars making the news in recent weeks, respondents were also asked about their impression of Canada’s EV market compared to EV markets in other countries.
A majority (52%) believe Canadians are paying more than people in other countries for EVs, 21% say we’re paying about the same, and just 6% think we’re paying less for these cars.
As the federal government undergoes its 60-day review of the EV mandate, one approach it could take is to focus on making lower-priced EVs more accessible to Canadians. Typically, new EVs in Canada sell for at least $45,000, which is higher than in many other countries. The government could, for example, reward automakers extra points under the system if they offer Canadians EVs priced below $40,000 or provide options like zero-interest financing.
When presented with this idea and asked whether they would generally support a revised Electric Vehicle Availability Standard aimed at improving EV model affordability, 46% like this approach compared to 18% who wish to keep the policy more or less as is. However, just 24% of Canadians oppose having the policy in place when presented with this version of it, compared to 27% when first asked about the EV mandate.
Support for an affordability-centred EV mandate is even higher in B.C.—a province with its own version of the policy—at 50%, while another 16% prefer the policy as is, and just 20% want a full repeal.
Incentive pause keeping would-be EV purchasers waiting to buy
The federal government paused its $5,000 EV incentive at the start of 2025, while the new Liberal government under Mark Carney has signalled its intention to bring a rebate program back. As a result, potential EV buyers have been left with two options: either wait for an update or buy the car they want without one.
Respondents were asked how they think this situation would influence them as a buyer if they were on the market for an EV, and the vast majority of those open to buying one say they would simply wait for an update (41%) rather than purchase an EV today (14%). Another 36% say they would not buy an EV regardless of incentives, with 9% uncertain.
QUOTE
“As climate policies go under the political microscope, it’s important we do not misread public opinion by oversimplying the options before us. A very strong majority of Canadians ultimately support keeping in place a version of Canada’s Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, and so the right question for Mark Carney is how the policy should adapt, not whether it should exist. As Canadians rightly realize they’re paying more for EVs than people in other countries, an approach centred on lowering upfront costs would be well received by many Canadians, especially younger ones keen on making the switch. Transportation is the second biggest expense for households after housing, and lower-priced EVs would unlock considerable savings for drivers both on day one and for years to come thanks to considerable gas savings.”
—Trevor Melanson, director of communications, Clean Energy Canada
METHODOLOGY
The survey was conducted with 2,230 Canadians from September 12 to 17, 2025. A random sample of panelists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single
source. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.08%, 19 times out of 20. The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
