We’ve plugged in the latest vehicle registration data to give you the most accurate snapshot of where Canada and its drivers stand with zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)—which include battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, but exclude hybrid electric vehicles.
New registrations of zero-emission vehicles highest in over a year
There were 58,811 new registrations of ZEVs across Canada in the second quarter of 2026, an increase compared with the first quarter of 2026 (43,113) and the second quarter of 2025 (46,413). This was the highest quarterly total since the fourth quarter of 2024, when 81,216 new ZEVs were registered.
While the largest gains were concentrated in major population centres, some smaller and more remote communities also recorded notable increases.
Down east: Nova Scotia ties all-time record
In Nova Scotia, new ZEV registrations in Halifax rose from 289 in the first quarter to 485 in the second quarter of 2026. In Truro, they more than doubled, from 22 to 45. Province-wide, registrations reached 870 in the second quarter of 2026, tying the record set in the fourth quarter of 2024 and representing the highest total on record since 2017, when we started tracking quarterly registrations.
New ZEV registrations also increased from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2026 in Cape Breton (from 33 to 59), Prince Edward Island (from 100 to 140) and New Brunswick (from 421 to 677).
Growth reaches smaller communities in Quebec and Ontario
From the first quarter to the second quarter of 2026, the Montréal (+3,089 new ZEV registrations) and Québec (+641) census metropolitan areas (CMAs) accounted for most of the new ZEV registrations in Quebec. At the same time, an increase of 1,937 new ZEV registrations in areas outside of CMAs and census agglomerations (CAs) was an indication of the growing reach of ZEVs.
For example, new registrations more than doubled in Sept-Îles (from 31 to 68) and Baie-Comeau (from 24 to 57), both smaller and more remote CAs.
In neighbouring Ontario, new registrations almost doubled from 68 to 117 in the Peterborough CMA, while they increased from 395 to 548 in the London CMA.
Areas in Ontario outside of CMAs and CAs (+336 new ZEV registrations) saw less of an increase than areas in Quebec outside of CMAs and CAs, as Toronto (+2,344), Ottawa (+515) and Hamilton (+251) accounted for the bulk of the increase.
Records set in in the west
British Columbia recorded new ZEV registration increases in the second quarter of 2026 for every population centre tracked, and many set new records. On Vancouver Island, new ZEV registrations rose in Courtenay (from 86 to 127), Nanaimo (from 192 to 233) and Port Alberni (from 26 to 46).
On the mainland, registrations increased from 302 to 380 in Abbotsford and from 87 to 152 in Kamloops.
Saskatchewan set a new province-wide record with 416 new ZEV registrations, while Manitoba reached a new high of 977.
The share of zero-emission vehicles rises, despite slower growth in 2025
In 2025, ZEVs made up 3.5% of Canada’s 25.3 million registered light-duty vehicles (LDV), which include passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles, pickup trucks and vans. This was up from 2.8% in 2024 and 2.0% in 2023. LDVs made up 91.7% of all vehicle registrations in 2025.
However, ZEV registrations recorded a smaller annual increase in 2025 (+189,803) than in 2024 (+212,473). The suspension of federal government incentives and reduced rebates offered by the Quebec government in 2025 were likely factors in this slowdown.
Sales up by more than one-quarter so far in 2026
In July 2026, there were 18,920 ZEVs sold in Canada, up from July 2025 (13,916). So far in 2026 (January to July) there have been 119,694 ZEVs sold, up considerably from the 93,381 sold during the same period of 2025.
In 2025, 169,972 ZEVs were sold in Canada. In the same year, ZEVs accounted for approximately 8.7% of all new motor vehicles sold in Canada.
Note to readers
Estimates for Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta are currently unavailable because of contractual limitations of the existing data sharing agreement. However, they are included in the Canadian total.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).