EV sales in Canada have climbed back up to 2024 levels: new JD Power report

After two tumultuous years marked by multiple global conflicts, trade disruptions and changes in domestic and foreign political regimes, Canada’s EV market is forecast to climb back close to its 2024 peak.

A new report from JD Power shows that, while still a ways off from the originally set and now revised adoption targets, new EV sales in Canada made up 13.1 per cent of the light-vehicle market share for the first half of 2026.

That should put the market close to the overall 2024 peak of 13.7 per cent, with the JD Power report further predicting, “a 24.1% share in 2030, rising to 42.5% in 2035 and 61.8% in 2040.”

JD Power’s report includes battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in its forecasts and sales totals.

Canada vs the world

While the recovery of Canada’s EV market is a promising sign, how does the country compare to other major markets?

The short answer, according to JD Power, is that Canada still remains behind its counterparts when it comes to EV adoption.

Some countries in Europe, in particular, are seeing a strong surge in EVs this year.

Italy recorded an eye-popping 82.6 per cent year-over-year jump between 2025 and 2026. Meanwhile, Spain, France, Germany and the U.K. posted year-over-year growth of 45.8, 42.7, 33.3 and 30.3 per cent, respectively.

Closer to home, the U.S. EV market remains in a downturn. JD Power forecasts EVs will account for 8.2 per cent of light-vehicle sales, down from 9.8 per cent in 2024.

“U.S.-assembled vehicles are also impacted by the import duty, with tariffs applying to non-U.S. components. However, a two-year import adjustment offset program has been implemented for manufacturers producing vehicles in the U.S.,” explained Neil King, head of forecasting at EV Volumes.

“Meanwhile, several planned PHEV and EREV launches in the U.S. have been delayed or cancelled. This points to a weaker than expected PHEV outlook as manufacturers reassess demand, cost competitiveness, and policy uncertainty.”

Globally, however, JD Power predicts that, despite an expected contraction in the broader automotive market, “EVs look set to buck the overall trend. Combining battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), EVs are forecast to see 7.8 per cent year-over-year growth in 2026. The pair’s share of the wider market, including all powertrains, is projected to rise 2.1 percentage points (pp) to 25.7 per cent. This will be thanks to the sale of 23.3 million EVs.”

JD Power’s full report is available here.