Nearly half of Canadians planning their next car purchase are leaning toward an electric vehicle, and a large share of them are willing to wait for Chinese models to arrive, according to a survey by Clean Energy Canada and Abacus Data. The findings, reported by Chinese outlet kuaikeji, suggest the country's EV market is in a holding pattern as buyers anticipate a wave of Chinese imports.
The online poll of 2,762 Canadian adults, conducted September 18-23, found that 48% of respondents would prefer an EV for their next vehicle, up three percentage points from a survey in April. Among those, 42% said they might delay their purchase until more Chinese EVs are available, while 37% complained about the limited selection of electric pickup trucks. Clean Energy Canada said these two barriers are concentrated among prospective buyers and are likely already dampening current EV sales.
Quota system opens the door
Canadian consumers can afford to wait because the door for Chinese EVs has cracked open. After Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China in January, Ottawa removed the 100% surcharge on Chinese EVs, replacing it with an annual import quota of 49,000 vehicles and a tariff of just 6.1% within that quota. The quota is set to grow each year, reaching 73,000 by 2030.
However, official Canadian data shows that only 15,931 Chinese-made EVs have been imported since the quota system took effect on March 1. Of the more than 33,000 slots in the second phase, just 328 have been used so far. The bulk of quota capacity has been taken up by Tesla's Model 3, built in Shanghai, and Tesla last week suspended orders for the Model 3 Premium in Canada, citing exhausted quota.
Other brands are moving in. BYD plans to open about 20 dealerships, Geely has officially announced its entry into Canada, and test vehicles from Chery and Geely have arrived in Toronto, though large-scale deliveries are not expected until next year.
The result is an unusual market dynamic: with gasoline prices at historic highs and buyers ready to spend, many Canadians are sitting on their wallets, waiting for Chinese EVs. Electrek commented that the narrative has flipped from Western consumers worrying about Chinese quality to Canadians preferring technologically advanced Chinese EVs over existing European, American, or Japanese models.
