The government should abolish its electric vehicle sales quotas, says an MEI researcher, upon the publication of new data on such vehicle sales in Quebec.
"The data show that the popularity of electric vehicles has collapsed," says Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst at the MEI. "It's clear that in spite of the watered-down quotas proposed by the provincial government, Quebecers' appetite for these vehicles remains far more limited than the government's."
In 2025, a total of 75,262 new electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles were registered in Quebec, according to recent Statistics Canada data. This represents a reduction of 49.1 per cent compared to 2024. Taken together, these vehicles represented 16.7 per cent of new vehicle registrations in the province.
Faced with this dwindling popularity, the Quebec government had announced last September that it was watering down its quotas, reducing its target to 90 per cent electric by 2035, and including self-charging (that is, non-plug-in) hybrid models in its targets.
Even adding in these models, there was still a 32.3-per-cent reduction in sales for these categories, with 117,699 new vehicles registered last year versus 173,856 the year before.
Considering the modified criteria proposed by the provincial government last September, these represent 21.4 per cent of new vehicles registered that year.
The researcher notes that forcing a transition to electric vehicles risks imposing substantial additional costs on consumers.
In 2026, the average electric vehicle is expected to still cost around $6,720 more than a gas-powered vehicle, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer's projections. For SUVs, minivans, and trucks, the gap climbs to $11,490, and these price differences should persist in the coming years.
The MEI also noted, in a Viewpoint published in February 2025, that the forced electrification of the vehicle fleet would put enormous pressure on the electrical grid by significantly increasing demand.
"The government's role should not be to impose electrification objectives, but to let consumers choose the vehicles that correspond best to their needs and their budget," concludes Mr. Giguère.
