Despite shift to EVs, number of gas-powered cars on Quebec roads hits record high

A person pumps gas in this undated stock image. (Shutterstock)

The province has been pushing drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) but it appears Quebecers aren't buying in.

The latest numbers from the SAAQ show that the number of gas-powered vehicles hit a record high in 2023.

However ambitious Quebec's targets for the electrification of transport are, gasoline-powered cars aren't out of the game just yet.

Some experts say there are many reasons for the boost in gas vehicles.

"The real problem is that all the early adopters already bought an electric car over the past few years. Now, the problem is you have to conquest a new market, you have to convince new people to buy electric cars," said automotive journalist Marc Bouchard.

However, this wasn't a problem in 2022 when gas-powered car purchases had dropped by over 45,000 in Quebec.

That number quickly climbed by more than 160,000 last year. So is the high cost of driving electric the real culprit?

"The price gap between affordable gas vehicles and EVs is still significant. So you have to drive a lot. You have to drive 28,000 kilometres a year to be able to make it profitable to drive an EV," said Jesse Caron, an automotive expert with CAA.

Caron says that the price of EV batteries is just too steep for manufacturers to be able to mass produce the vehicles in a profitable way.

"As long as the situation prevails, it will be really hard for consumers to get into vehicles that are affordable," Caron said. "Especially with the government subsidies that are being decreased."

Quebec plans to phase out its subsidies for EV vehicles starting next year, ending them completely in 2027.

What impact this will have on the car market has yet to be determined. But what's for sure, says decarbonization specialist Mark Purdon, is that the right incentives can sway public opinion.

That includes getting Quebecers with lower incomes to join the EV movement.

"You can generate some political goodwill through sort of appropriate subsidies and incentives to kind of allow people to say, OK, you're not alone, we know this is going to be a difficult transition," Caron said.

Still, the popularity EVs gained in recent years is undeniable, with almost 171,000 fully-electric and hybrid cars on Quebec roads in 2023 and more than 240,000 so far this year.

As for the rest of 2024, it's a guessing game as to how many drivers will choose to go electric.