Record Year for Electric Vehicle Sales in 2024 and Reduced Financial Support for 2025
30 January 2025
2024 was a record year for electric vehicle sales in Quebec. In order to benefit from full subsidies, many Quebecers made the leap to electric vehicles.
Although 4th-quarter data on electric vehicle sales have yet to be released, we can estimate that 2024 probably ended with more than 380,000 electric vehicles on Quebec roads (1). For the 3rd quarter of 2024, new EV sales exceeded 30% of total vehicle sales. This represents an unprecedented acceleration in sales. The milestone of 100,000 electric vehicles was reached in 2021, followed by 200,000 in 2023.
According to the latest available data from the Roulez vert program as at December 31, 2024, 97,356 100% electric vehicles and 29,301 plug-in hybrid vehicles received provincial financial assistance during 2024, for a total of 126,657 vehicles.
62,632 charging station subsidies were also granted in 2024, including 53,816 home charging stations, 2,832 workplace charging stations and 5,984 multi-dwelling charging stations.
With electric vehicles available in dealerships particularly towards the end of 2024, Quebecers were able to take possession of their vehicles quickly and easily.
Suspension of the Roulez vert program and reduction in financial assistance amounts
In terms of provincial subsidies, the Roulez vert program is suspended from February 1 to March 31, 2025, and will return on April 1st. This suspension applies to financial assistance for both electric vehicles and charging stations.
As of April 1, 2025, the following provincial financial assistance will be available for the acquisition of electric vehicles:
Projected amounts of financial assistance with Roulez vert as of April 1, 2025
|
Vehicle Type |
Vehicle Registered in 2025 |
Vehicle Registered in 2026 |
Vehicle Registered in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
All-electric vehicle |
$4,000 |
$2,000 |
$0 |
|
Plug-in hybrid vehicle (from 8 to 15 kWh) |
$1,000 |
$500 |
$0 |
|
Plug-in hybrid vehicle (15 kWh or more) |
$2,000 |
$1,000 |
$0 |
|
Used all-electric vehicle |
$2,000 |
$1,000 |
$0 |
|
Electric motorcycle |
$1,000 |
$500 |
$0 |
Suspension of the iZEV federal incentive program
Due to high demand, the Government of Canada announced on January 13, that the incentive program for zero-emission vehicles (iZEV) had been suspended, as the allocated funds had been fully committed.
The end of federal subsidies applies to personal electric vehicles, but the part of the program aimed at companies and organizations that buy, or lease zero-emission trucks is still in place until March 31, 2026, subject to the availability of funds.
What to expect in 2025?
Despite the changes to financial assistance, interest in electric vehicles is expected to persist into 2025, due in part to lower interest rates and adjustments by manufacturers that have been and will likely continue to be made to offset financial assistance and meet the Vehicle Zero Emission (ZEV) standard.
The ZEV standard aims to encourage the transition to cleaner vehicles and reduce transport-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by stimulating the supply of zero-emission vehicles, with a target of 100% electric vehicle sales by 2035.
Quebecers should also continue to turn to the used car market, which now includes many used electric vehicles.
---
(1) Projection based on AVÉQ data as at 30 September 2024 and financial incentives from the Roulez vert program from October to December 2024, supported by quarterly sales statistics from Statistics Canada.