Canadian consumers will need more education around electric vehicle ownership, insurance, and infrastructure requirements if Canada is to boost adoption rates as the country gears up for the rise of EVs, according to a recent survey conducted by Ipsos Canada and commissioned by BrokerLink.
In a news release, in which the company discussed its findings, many Canadians were shown to be ill-prepared for EVs; 71 per cent consumers who own gas-powered vehicles are not ready to give them up. And only 24 per cent of respondents are familiar with EV auto insurance policies. Meanwhile, charging infrastructure (89 per cent) and range anxiety (84 per cent) remain an issue.
“The survey findings suggest there are significant gaps in people’s understanding, regarding the adoption of EVs in Canada,” said Grant Clarke, Vice President of National Personal Insurance at BrokerLink, in a statement.
The 2023 survey, conducted by Ipsos Canada, found that 82 per cent of Canadians believe the type of vehicle they are driving (SUV, compact, sport car classifications, for example) affects their insurance premiums more than whether that vehicle is electric or gas-powered (56 per cent). BrokerLink also notes that 20 per cent of consumer respondents do not expect an EV policy to have any specific benefits related to EVs.
At the same time, 59 per cent of respondents who do not own an EV are excited to drive one in the future. And that same percentage of consumers will consider buying an EV as their next vehicle.
“As we move towards the EV era, we wanted to capture insights to better understand Canadians’ sentiment towards EVs, and gauge their knowledge around auto insurance policies for this vehicle type, which is why we commissioned the survey,”said Clark.
