Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model 3 drive EV sales ahead in Canada

Sales figures for EVs in Canada for the third quarter of 2018 are now out, and show that Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model 3 are leading the way in battery electric vehicle sales in the northern American country.

The Leaf was first introduced to the Canadian auto market back in 2011, and has seen a steady (if not at times fluctuating) increase in sales, according to figures and estimates from Green Car Reports.

The figures show that for 2018, there were 4,481 Nissan Leafs sold in total, while total sales of the Leaf have now reached a milestone 10,000 of Nissan’s popular EV sold for all time, making it the most numerous EV in Canada (followed by the Tesla Model S at 7,519).

But these figures are followed closely by sales of the Tesla Model 3—4,295 in fact—which was released onto the Canadian car market only in May 2018.

While month by month figures show Tesla’s signature ramping up of deliveries towards the end of each quarter, resulting in quarterly sales peaks, it cannot be ignored that interest in the mass-market Model 3 is significant.

Plug-in hybrid sales are also doing well in the north American country, where various incentives to purchase have been on offer in three provinces.

More precisely, plug-in sales exceed that of the United States—almost 2.2% of all new vehicle sales in Canada, compared to 1.8% in the US.

While an incentive of up to $CAD14,000 ($A15,000) in Ontario has expired, seeing sales in the country’s largest province drop, the province of British Columbia—where plug-ins account for 5% of sales—has decided to retain current rebate levels.

Quebec also has rebates of up to $CAD8,000 (about $A8,600) on offer for purchases of BEVs and PHEVs.

The Mitsubishi Outlander, which has been on sale in Canada since December 2017, is the most popular PHEV in the country, with sales for 2018 reaching almost as many as Nissan Leafs sold, at 4,426.

This is followed by the Chevy Volt at 3,456 sold in 2018—it remains the single most popular PHEV in the country at 16,653 sold in total.

Toyota Prius PHEV/Prime (combined) and Chevy Bolt sales for 2018 follow at 2,889 and 1,944 sales respectively.

It will be interesting to see how these players move on the Canadian EV market in times to come, as more affordable EVs come onto the market.

The Hyundai Ioniq EV and Honda Clarity EV were both launched onto the Canadian market alongside the Outlander in December 2017, but so far have not been taken up in any great numbers.