More than half of Canadians considering an electric vehicle say they’d buy from a Chinese brand they’ve never heard of. Ford, GM, and Toyota probably aren’t thrilled about that.
According to Automotive News Canada, a new J.D. Power Canada study found that 56 per cent of EV-curious shoppers would look at Chinese brands not yet sold here, mostly because they’re cheaper. BYD, Chery, and Geely are already going through Canada’s certification process and getting ready to sell here.
J.D. Ney, managing director of J.D. Power Canada, told Automotive News Canada that established automakers shouldn’t ignore this. “It’s definitely reason for some concern or at least some action,” he said. That said, Ney noted the newcomers “might have to prove a thing or two” first, with shoppers worried about aftersales support and parts availability down the road.
Canadian attitudes toward EVs have shifted more broadly too. J.D. Power surveyed nearly 5,000 new-vehicle shoppers and found 34 per cent would consider one for their next purchase, up six points from last year and the first time that number has been positive in four years.
Fuel prices and the return of the up to $5,000 federal rebate are the main reasons (it doesn’t apply to Chinese EVs, however). In March, Canada’s zero-emission vehicle adoption rate hit 12.2 per cent, nearly double a year earlier. EV affordability, once the number one concern, has fallen out of the top three entirely, with several models now starting under $40,000 and one under $30,000.
All of this is happening after Canada slashed its tariff on Chinese EVs from 100 per cent down to 6.1 per cent as part of a trade deal, though imports are capped at 49,000 vehicles for 2026 (Tesla already has a big head start with its cheaper Model 3). Canada got something in return too: China reopened its market to Canadian canola seed, worth about $4 billion to agricultural exporters.
Ney told the publication the market has “quite a bit of headroom” to grow, adding that this year’s momentum “does feel more sustainable than it may have in years past.”
Are you going to buy a Chinese EV once they get established here? One major issue would be servicing, especially if you live outside of a big city that would have a sales centre. Any issues and you’d have to get your EV towed for service (unless they have mobile servicing come to you, but even that’s limited in what they can do at your home).
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