Canadian EV Shoppers’ Interest in Tesla Falls to 13 Percent

Over a quarter (28 percent) of new-vehicle shoppers in Canada say they are very likely or somewhat likely to consider an electric vehicle for their next purchase, which is roughly the same proportion as last year (29 percent) yet less than half of the EV consideration rate among U.S. shoppers (59 percent), according to a new study released today by J.D. Power Canada.

In the province of Quebec, where EV incentives were paused in February and March, consideration declined 8 percentage points while increasing 2 percentage points in the rest of Canada. 

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Arguably the main takeaway from the study, however, is the major shakeup in the list of the most frequently considered EV brands.

"What is noteworthy is the reaction to the incentive landscape, and perhaps more importantly for manufacturers, the shift in consumer interest toward traditional brands,” said J.D. Ney, director of the automotive practice at J.D. Power Canada. 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 ranked among the top two EV brands considered for the past four years, has dropped to eighth. Only 13 percent of Canadian shoppers planning to buy an EV now say they would consider Elon Musk’s company versus 29 percent a year ago.

This is an unprecedented fall, as J.D. Power Canada notes, and largely attributable to the close ties between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump as well as his controversial statements and antics, like claiming Canada is not a real country.

That’s why we weren’t surprised at all by the results of another study, this one by Kelley Blue Book, that showed the Tesla Cybertruck loses nearly 40 percent of its original value on average after just a few months on the road. The electric pickup’s hefty prices and inability to live up to its promises are also part of the explanation.

J.D. Power Canada also found that three-quarters (75 percent) of new-vehicle shoppers are “not at all confident” or “not very confident” that the federal government will achieve its goal of 100-percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035 for all new light-duty vehicles.