Two thirds of Canadians say the federal government’s mandate imposing that all new cars sold in the country must be electric by 2035 is unrealistic

Montréal, QC, October 1, 2024 — A survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute demonstrates Canadians’ opposition to the federal government’s ban on the sale of conventional vehicles by 2035. 

Specifically, 55% disagree with the mandate that all new cars sold be electric or zero-emissions by 2035. Further, two-thirds of Canadians (66%) say the timeline for this mandate is not realistic. 

Currently, just one in ten Canadians (9%) say they own an electric vehicle. Among those who do not own an electric vehicle, one quarter (24%) say the next car they purchase will be electric. Some of the key barriers preventing Canadians from purchasing an electric car are concerns about how expensive they are compared to other models (70%), the lack of charging infrastructure (66%) and that they are not adapted to Canadian cold climate. 

For more details on this research, which also touches on support in Quebec for ways to address the end of electricity surpluses in 2027, Canadian support for building new pipelines and for the establishment of an energy corridor in Canada, please download the full study report.

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between the 18th and 22nd of September 2024, on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute. For this survey, a sample of 1,190 Canadian adults aged 18+ years was interviewed, including an oversample of 407 residents of Quebec. Quotas and weighting were employed (age, gender and region) to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error. 

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Derek Brasier
Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs
[email protected]
 

About Ipsos

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people.

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.

“Game Changers” – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120, Mid-60 indices, STOXX Europe 600 and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

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