Canadians’ Lack of EV Knowledge is Baffling, New Survey Shows
The popularity and market share of electric vehicles is rising, but most shoppers across the country who have yet to make the switch still don’t know a lot about them.
According to a recent survey commissioned by Electric Mobility Canada (EMC), only 13 percent of Canadians describe themselves as being EV-savvy.
Shockingly, over half of respondents were unaware of the $5,000 federal rebate that’s been available since May 2019. It’s the same thing when it comes to provincial rebates.
Likewise, less than a quarter of respondents knew about federal tax deductions for self-employed individuals and company owners that purchase an EV or plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Not even one in four people was able to correctly estimate the number of public chargers in Canada (over 20,000) or identify the average range of new EV models (400-500 km).
Barely 9 percent of survey respondents were aware that 40+ EV and PHEV models on the market right now have a lower MSRP than the average new vehicle in Canada, which costs a bit more than $66,000.
Once these facts came to their knowledge, the proportion of non-owners who said they were likely to choose an EV or PHEV as their next vehicle increased from 43 percent at the start of the survey to 63 percent at the end.
“This goes to show that a little education can go a long way,” EMC president and CEO Daniel Breton said. “It’s pretty clear that the more people know about EVs, the more likely they are to adopt one.”