EY Canada's annual Mobility Consumer Index, which gauges consumer attitudes towards vehicle purchasing and technology preferences, reveals that Canadians are adopting a more practical approach for their next car purchase. Although nearly half of respondents indicate plans to buy a vehicle within the next two years, there is a noticeable shift in preference back towards internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE).
"Canada's EV story hasn't stalled rather it's becoming more pragmatic. Consumers still care about fuel costs and the environment, but they're asking harder questions about affordability, charging reliability and the day-to-day experience. The opportunity now is to close the confidence gap with clearer pricing, more dependable charging and a purchase journey that meets Canadians where they are," says Jennifer Rogers, Automotive and Transportation Leader at EY Canada.
Shifting gears: a new road ahead for mobility
This year's survey data shows that 30% of potential EV buyers in Canada report reconsidering or postponing EV purchase decisions in light of recent geopolitical events.
Preference towards ICE vehicles rose to 58% (up from 44%), while battery electric vehicle (BEV) preference declined to 7% (from 15%). Hybrids remain the most preferred alternative powertrain at 17%, reinforcing their role as a bridge for consumers who want efficiency gains without fully changing refuelling behaviours.
Affordability and charging: the roadblocks
For Canadians leaning toward ICE vehicles, the primary inhibitors to EV consideration are upfront purchase cost (32%) and public charger quality / interoperability (28%). Consumers also cite difficulty locating charging stations (38%), expensive charging costs (32%) and long wait times (31%) among the top public charging concerns. For home charging, high installation costs, electricity bills, and electrical panel upgrades emerged as added considerations.
Sustainability and savings: the motivators
The top two EV motivators remain the same as the previous year with 53% of respondents citing high fuel / gasoline prices as the top consideration, an increase from 45% the year before. Environmental concerns hold onto the second spot but rose from 34% in 2024 to 47% in 2025, suggesting sustainability remains a key purchase incentive.
Hybrid car shopping continues: click meets brick
The report further highlights a retail journey that is increasingly hybrid. Canadians continue to rely heavily on online platforms for early-stage research, while the dealership experience remains important for decision-making 37% of EV purchasers and 41% of ICE vehicle buyers say they wouldn't buy without a test drive. At the same time, online purchase preference grows to 27% (up from 22%), and 32% say they want to evaluate both online and offline options.
Function first, full autonomy later
On connected and autonomous experiences, Canadian consumers show stronger appetite for functional, day-to-day benefits (navigation, safety / security, and service / maintenance) than for higher levels of automation. On a scale where 0 is no automation and 5 is full automation, a majority (68%) are comfortable with up to Level 2 (partial autonomy), while concerns about accident risk (62%), loss of vehicle control (54%) and technology failure (52%) remain prominent.
