Canadian electric vehicle sales hit record high

OTTAWA — In a brief provided to federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau, federal officials suggest cash incentives are among the best ways to convince Canadians to buy environmentally friendly electric vehicles.

Here are some facts about EV sales in Canada:

• In May 2016, the number of plug-in electric vehicles sold in Canada surpassed the 20,000 mark, according to the online magazine Green Car Reports.
• Plug-in electric vehicle sales in Canada account for less than 0.30 per cent of all cars and trucks sold.
• The Chevrolet Volt, made by General Motors, commands the Canadian EV market with roughly 30 per cent market share, followed by the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla S, which has seen the fastest sales growth numbers so far in 2016.
• If current sales trends continue, there could be 30,000 EVs on the country’s roads by Canada’s 150th birthday next July.
• By comparison, the United States had the largest fleet of light-duty plug-in electric vehicles in the world by June of this year, with roughly 474,000 highway-capable EVs sold since the Tesla Roadster went on the market in 2008.
• The federal budget introduced in March included $62.5 million over two years to help build the infrastructure needed to support alternative fuel vehicles, including charging stations for electric cars and refuelling stations for vehicles that run on natural gas and hydrogen.