A new poll on attitudes towards ZEVs found that less than one third of Canadians (31%) support the federal ZEV mandate. Nearly half of Canadians (46%) want the ZEV mandate to be eliminated or made less strict.
The federal ZEV mandate dictates an annual sales ratio of ZEVs to internal combustion engine vehicles in Canada. The mandate requires that ZEVs make up a minimum of 20% of new light duty vehicle sales in 2026, 60% in 2030, and 100% in 2035. ZEVs include Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs), Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs).
ZEV sales in Canada accounted for 10.2% of total new motor vehicle sales in September, a 43.3% decline from the same month the previous year.
The federal government introduced the ZEV mandate, know as the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, to “improve the availability of new electric vehicles across the country”. According to the poll, a lack of ZEV availability at dealers is a non-issue for Canadians with only 11% of respondents citing this as a top barrier to adoption.
The poll finds that concerns around vehicle affordability, limited driving ranges and a lack of public charging infrastructure are the main barriers to ZEV adoption in Canada. These findings are consistent with polling results from 2021, underlining the lack of progress that has been achieved on addressing the key barriers to adoption.
The survey was conducted by Leger for the CVMA, GAC, and CADA. The findings are based on an online survey of over 1,500 Canadians completed between November 21-24, 2025.
“Canadians want support to transition to electric vehicles, not unrealistic government mandates that can’t be met.” – Brian Kingston, President & CEO, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association