Canada sees ZEV surge in Q1

Canadians are hitting the road in record numbers with zero-emission vehicles. According to Statistics Canada, the first quarter saw a 53 per cent year-over-year surge in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) registrations.

In the first quarter, 46,744 new ZEVs were registered, representing 11.3 per cent of all new vehicle registrations. Battery electric vehicles topped consumer choice, accounting for 73 per cent of the total ZEV registrations, while plug-in hybrids made up the remaining 27 per cent.

Despite a 16.6 per cent increase in overall new vehicle registrations year-over-year in the first quarter, there was a 3.1 per cent decline compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Pickup truck registrations fell by just over 8 pe rcent, marking the first year-over-year quarterly decrease for this category after seven consecutive increases.