Statistics Canada's latest sales numbers show EV share climbing well past last year. Here's what the data says and what it doesn't.
Canadians bought a lot more EVs this summer than last. Statistics Canada says 22,716 new zero-emission vehicles were sold in August 2026, up 55.1% from August 2025. That's 13.0% of all new vehicles sold, up from 8.8% a year earlier (Statistics Canada, The Daily). Transport Canada's rebate data shows dealers filed 11,015 federal EVAP requests the same month (Transport Canada EVAP data).
Statistics Canada's New motor vehicle sales report for August 2026, released on October 15, counts 22,716 new zero-emission vehicles sold that month, up 55.1% from August 2025. Out of 174,611 new vehicles sold in total, that's a 13.0% share, compared with 8.8% a year earlier.
One thing to know: StatCan's "zero-emission vehicle" category includes both battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. The report doesn't split them, and it doesn't break sales down by brand or model, so it can't tell us how many were Teslas.
| New vehicle sales, Canada | August 2026 | Change from August 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| All new vehicles | 174,611 | +4.9% |
| Zero-emission vehicles | 22,716 | +55.1% |
| ZEV share of sales | 13.0% | up from 8.8% |
Source: Statistics Canada, The Daily, New motor vehicle sales, August 2026 (released October 15, 2026). StatCan says the data is subject to revision.
22,716 zero-emission vehicles were sold in Canada in August 2026, up 55.1% from a year earlier.
Transport Canada's EVAP statistics list every dealer request for the federal Electric Vehicle Affordability Program rebate. I counted 11,015 requests dated in August 2026: 9,164 for battery EVs and 1,851 for plug-in hybrids. Quebec dealers filed 5,826 of them and Ontario dealers 2,682.
The two numbers aren't directly comparable. A rebate request isn't a sale, and not every EV qualifies: unless it's made in Canada, a car has to have a final transaction value of $50,000 or less (Transport Canada EVAP Q&A, questions 8 and 11).
The rebate is the date to watch. EVAP drops from up to $5,000 to up to $4,000 for a battery EV on January 1, 2027, and the amount depends on when the dealer submits your pre-approval, not your delivery date (Transport Canada EVAP Q&A, question 13). See our EV rebates guide, the Model Y EVAP story and Tesla vs gas costs in Ontario.
How this story was made: editorial standards and corrections. Spot an error? Contact us.
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