After four consecutive years of declining interest, the intention to buy an electric vehicle (EV) is climbing again in Canada. That’s the headline finding of the latest annual EV survey conducted by the Auto Trader Group, which polled more than 1,700 Canadians in early 2026. The turnaround is being driven by two converging forces: the return of federal purchase incentives and the sustained rise of fuel prices.
Source: Annual Electric Vehicle Survey, Auto Trader Group, April 2026 — 1,761 Canadian respondents, conducted February 9 to March 11, 2026.
65% of potential buyers say incentives directly influence their purchase decision.
Gas prices are a big factor right now.
47% say they would not have bought an EV without incentives.
Nationally, 49% of non-EV owners now say they’re considering making the switch — up from 42% in 2025. It’s the first year-over-year increase since 2022, when interest peaked at 68% before entering a prolonged slide. The recovery is still partial, but the trend has clearly reversed.
Incentives Are the Tipping Point
The federal government’s relaunch of the Program for EV Affordability (PEVA) appears to have had an immediate and measurable effect. In the week following the announcement, the number of Canadians actively researching EV purchases on AutoHebdo.net jumped 21%. Search volumes for EVs also rose 5% in the days immediately after the announcement — an unusual spike for what is typically a quiet period.
The numbers make the case plainly: 65% of potential buyers say incentives directly influence their purchase decision, and 54% say they simply couldn’t afford an EV without them. Among current EV owners nationally, 44% received a government incentive, and 47% say they would not have bought without one. The message is clear — incentives don’t just help, they are often the deciding factor.
Gas Prices Doing Their Part
Beyond policy, gas prices are pushing more Canadians toward EVs. During a period of rising geopolitical tensions in late February and early March, EV searches on AutoHebdo.net surged 33% year-over-year. It echoes what happened in 2022, when the invasion of Ukraine sent fuel prices spiking and drove EV interest to record highs. For the majority of potential buyers, fuel efficiency and cost savings rank as the top motivation (89%), well ahead of environmental concern (55%) and low maintenance costs (53%).
Regional Contrasts
The rebound is not uniform across the country. British Columbia leads with 60% of non-EV owners considering a purchase, up 11 percentage points from 2025. Manitoba and Saskatchewan posted the largest single-year jump at +12 points, reaching 53%. Ontario climbed to 50% (+8 pp), while Atlantic Canada reached 46% (+5 pp). Alberta was the lone province to show no change, holding steady at 46%. Quebec, at 44%, gained 8 points over 2025 — a notable recovery after years of declining enthusiasm.
The Barriers Haven’t Gone Away
Despite the renewed optimism, structural barriers remain. Purchase price is the top deterrent nationally (64%), followed by range anxiety and charging access. In rural areas, the picture is starker: 83% of rural respondents cite limited range as a barrier, 70% point to lack of charging infrastructure, and 64% flag high purchase costs.
Charging infrastructure is a critical gap. Two-thirds of Canadians who have no intention of buying an EV (67%) cite the lack of charging stations as a primary reason. And 75% of respondents say they’d be more likely to consider an EV if the government invested more in charging infrastructure. The government has pledged to add over 8,000 new charging stations — whether that investment arrives quickly enough to sustain this momentum remains to be seen.
The used EV market may also help bridge the affordability gap. Most potential buyers see used EVs as cheaper (78%), better value (67%), and slower to depreciate (43%) than comparable gas vehicles — a perception that, combined with growing inventory, could accelerate adoption at the entry level.
