According to Statistics Canada, 2021 figures put the combined BEV/HEV/PHEV population at 2.3% of the
total Light Duty Vehicle (LDV) population of more than 24 million.

The focus of much of the conversation regarding EVs has been new vehicle sales, with some voices bordering on hype; the real impact for the aftermarket is buried deeper into the data.

So, while some regions in Canada are seeing double digit percentages in terms of proportion of new vehicle sales, the vehicles in operation (VIO) as reported by Statistics Canada, tells a very different story.

According to Statistics Canada, 2021 figures put the combined BEV/HEV/PHEV population at 2.3% of the total Light Duty Vehicle (LDV) population. This amounts to about 550,000 out of the total LDV population of approximately 24 million.

DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC), which did some digging into the numbers, concluded too that the regional variations in sales are worth noting.

With BEVs making up only 0.63% of registered LDVs on the road–skewed by B.C.s 1.5% and Quebec’s 1.11% (in contrast to Ontario, where volume is notable but only hits 0.6% as a proportion of sales) DAC observes how this tracks to the influence of provincial mandates and incentives in its analysis.

“Individual provincial mandates influenced a significant portion of this disparity, with vehicle manufacturers focusing limited BEV supply on jurisdictions where regulations and targets were starkest,” offers the researcher.

DAC forecasts show that BEVs will occupy approximately 7.8% of the fleet by 2030– offering that this is a “significant portion and one which will start to impact certain sectors of the aftermarket.”

“The presence of BEVs on Canadian roads has been increasing steadily but in a highly localized manner,” commented Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC in a newsletter analysis.

“Given increased vehicle longevity and the continued dominant sales of ICE in many provinces progress will be slow in terms of the VIO profile, but it is important that the aftermarket start transitioning immediately to meet the future needs of consumers.”

Statistics Canada numbers bear this out, showing EVs surging:

“Canadians’ heightened focus on clean energy is reflected in the type of fuel used by vehicles,” reports the agency.

‘While 94.9% of all registered LDVs remained motor gasoline in 2021, there were 303,073 hybrid electric vehicles as well as 152,685 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 95,896 plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) registered. All three of these categories grew sharply from 2020 to 2021, with notable increases for PHEVs (+24.4%) and BEVs (+48.1%).”

Indie Garage and its sister publication Jobber Nation will be going deeper into the current data on the EV and the Aftermarket. Stay tuned!