Model Y cars at a Tesla factory in Germany in 2022. In the first quarter of 2025, EVs had a 9.7-per-cent share of new vehicle registrations in Canada, down from 12.5 per cent the year before.Pool/Reuters
If you drive an electric vehicle, or you are kicking the tires on one, you might be looking at the developments of the past year with a mixture of horror and disbelief.
Governments are rolling back financial incentives and shredding EV sales mandates. Tesla Inc.’s Elon Musk had merged EVs with MAGA earlier this year, likely tarnishing his own brand and the image of Tesla owners.
And sales growth is slowing in North America. Zero-emission vehicles grabbed a 9.7-per-cent share of new vehicle registrations in Canada in the first quarter of this year, according to S&P Global. That’s down from a 12.5-per cent-share in the same period last year.
S&P called this decline a “significant slowdown.”
When I bought my EV, a Hyundai Ioniq 5, in 2022, waiting lists were part of the process as growth accelerated and enthusiastic buyers outnumbered available vehicles. Now, it’s mostly bad news that haunts EVs.
It could be a blip – or something more serious.
So we’ve decided to check things out for ourselves with a survey of Globe readers. Whether you are a Canadian who owns an EV, you’re eyeing one, or you can’t stand the thought of one, we’d like to hear from you.
Simply answer the questions in this quick anonymous poll, and we’ll do the rest with a follow-up article.
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New products that caught my eye
My family rolls their eyes when I wear my Patagonia Sun Mask (I call it a snood). But this versatile article of clothing protects my neck from the intense sun, both in and out of water, and can even serve as a head wrap. Tested on my recent trip to Mexico – and now on sale.