Automotive News Canada - March 2023 - 30

30
* MARCH 2023
Decoding the roadblocks to EV adoption
Lack of charging
infrastructure and
high vehicle costs
threaten fledgling
market, says panel
By STEVE MERTL
VANCOUVER CORRESPONDENT
THE PACE OF ELECTRICvehicle
sales is accelerating,
but longstanding challenges
keep EVs from the point where
consumers will
embrace them the
way they do internal
combustion
cars.
HOST
Tim
Dimopoulos
Managing
director,
publisher
In a Feb. 28 panel
discussion, EVs
Decoded, online
participants talked
about how high
purchase costs, limited
model choices,
charging availability, a lack of
consumer knowledge and constrained
supply are holding
back sales of EVs.
" We're not at a tipping point
but we are on a solid trajectory, "
said Mike Buff, senior manager
for recharging provider Electrify
America and Electrify Canada.
" What's going to get us there
is more vehicles, body types,
price points and the supporting
infrastructure to fit [an EV] into
your life. "
In 2020, battery-electric
vehicles
made up about
2.5 per cent of
Canada's new-vehicle
sales, Buff said.
That figure rose to
five per cent in the
first half of 2022.
Draft legislation
would require that
by 2026, at least
stations across Canada with
more than 120 ultrafast chargers,
said Buff. There are plans
to expand to 100 stations and 500
chargers by 2026.
SCAN TO SEE
THE VIDEO
PRESENTATION
automotivenews.ca
(Found under
'EVENTS & AWARDS')
20 per cent of new cars sold in
Canada be zero-emission vehicles.
That would rise to 60 per
cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by
2035.
Alan Bird, CEO of consulting
firm taq Automotive
Intelligence, was skeptical of the
goal because of the number of
pieces that must fall into place.
EV adoption will continue ramping
up, but on a longer timeline
than might be desired, he said.
Range anxiety is a shrinking
concern, thanks to advancements
in battery technology, but
spotty recharging infrastructure
development needs to be
addressed, the panel agreed.
Electrify has 31 recharging
" All of that infrastructure by
us and others is going to unlock
more opportunities for customers
to charge and ultimately -
going back to the buying process
- to adopt (EVs), " he said.
Charging providers must
also simplify the process, said
Cara Clairman, president of
Plug'n Drive, a Toronto-based
nonprofit group that educates
Canadians about EVs.
Tesla did an excellent job of
creating a seamless charging
network for its customers, but
others rely on a mixed bag of
systems using different apps,
some requiring preloaded funds,
said David Adams, president of
Global Automakers of Canada,
which represents import
brands.
" This is a huge frustration, "
echoed Clairman.
Aside from public charging,
industry and government must
prioritize charging for multiunit
residential buildings and
street charging for " garage
orphans, " the panelists said.
Bird said commercial buildings
should also be considered
Canada light-vehicle sales by nameplate, Feb. & 2 months
Table refl ects Canada sales for those manufacturers that report monthly
Feb.
HONDA CANADA
ILX .........................................
8
Integra ................................... 40
TLX ........................................ 70
2023 2022
Feb. % 2 mos. 2 mos. %
chng. 2023 2022
chng.
Forte (D/I) ..............................
62 -87% 14 120 -88%
-
71
191 307 -38% 501 487
RDX ....................................... 421 548 -23% 924 1,126 -18%
Total Acura truck ............... 612 855 -28% 1,425 1,613 -12%
Total Acura ...................... 730 980 -26% 1,708 1,872 -9%
Accord ...................................
5 205 -98% 10 470 -98%
1
2 -50%
1
-
1
-
Civic (D/I) .............................. 1,463 2,012 -27% 2,687 4,165 -35%
Clarity (I) ...............................
Insight ...................................
5 -80%
2
Total Honda car (D/I) .......... 1,469 2,220 -34% 2,698 4,642 -42%
CR-V ......................................
879 2,309 -62% 2,657 4,569 -42%
HR-V ...................................... 578 741 -22% 1,338 1,416 -6%
Odyssey ................................. 306 169 81% 601 294 104%
Passport ................................ 173 130 33% 355 255 39%
Pilot ....................................... 156 506 -69% 417 1,084 -62%
Ridgeline ................................ 260 178 46% 475 479 -1%
Total Honda truck .............. 2,352 4,033 -42% 5,843 8,097 -28%
Total Honda (D/I) ............... 3,821 6,253 -39% 8,541 12,739 -33%
Honda Canada car ............. 1,587 2,345 -32% 2,981 4,901 -39%
Honda Canada truck ........... 2,964 4,888 -39% 7,268 9,710 -25%
HONDA CANADA ................ 4,551 7,233 -37% 10,249 14,611 -30%
HYUNDAI-KIA
G70 (I) ................................... 84
G80 (I) ................................... 21
G90 (I) ................................... 10
81 4% 130 185 -30%
19 11% 52
2 400% 14
39 33%
6 133%
Total Genesis car (I) ........... 115 102 13% 196 230 -15%
GV60 (I) ................................. 37
-
52
27 163% 141
-
-
GV70 (I) ................................. 167 101 65% 329 169 95%
GV80 (I) ................................. 71
41 244%
Total Genesis truck (I) ......... 275 128 115% 522 210 149%
Total Genesis (I) ............... 390 230 70% 718 440 63%
Elantra (I) ............................... 1,793 1,553
Ioniq (I) .................................
Total Sonata ...........................
Veloster (I) .............................
73
15% 3,326 3,028
0 155
Sonata (D) ............................ 0 195 -
Sonata (I) ............................. 294
Hyundai car (D) ................ 0 195
-
-
294 260 13% 407 502 -19%
65 352% 407
35
62
0 410
10%
-
0 410 -
92 342%
-
-
Hyundai car (I) ................. 2,087 1,726 21% 3,733 3,337 12%
Total Hyundai car .............. 2,087 1,921 9% 3,733 3,747 -0%
Ioniq 5 (I) .............................. 349 745 -53% 642 1,551 -59%
Kona (I) ................................. 1,962 1,590 23% 3,391 2,894 17%
Palisade (I) ............................ 488 575 -15% 1,044 1,135 -8%
Santa Fe (D).......................... 618 651 -5% 1,175 1,149 2%
Santa Fe (I) ........................... 193 384 -50% 333 487 -32%
Total Santa Fe ........................ 811 1,035 -22% 1,508 1,636 -8%
Santa Cruz ............................. 309 130 138% 616 233 164%
Tucson (I) .............................. 1,801 1,607 12% 3,197 2,792 15%
Venue (I) ................................ 909 813 12% 1,598 1,504 6%
Hyundai truck (D) .............. 927 781 19% 1,791 1,382 30%
Hyundai truck (I) ............... 5,702 5,714 -0% 10,205 10,363 -2%
Total Hyundai truck ............ 6,629 6,495 2% 11,996 11,745 2%
Hyundai (D) ..................... 927 976 -5% 1,791 1,792 -0%
Hyundai (I) ...................... 7,789 7,440 5% 13,938 13,700 2%
Total Hyundai ................... 8,716 8,416 4% 15,729 15,492 2%
Hyundai Auto Canada car ..... 2,202 2,023 9% 3,929 3,977 -1%
Hyundai Auto Canada truck... 6,904 6,623 4% 12,518 11,955 5%
Hyundai Auto Canada (D) ..... 927 976 -5% 1,791 1,792 -0%
Hyundai Auto Canada (I) ...... 8,179 7,670 7% 14,656 14,140 4%
Hyundai Auto Canada ......... 9,106 8,646 5% 16,447 15,932 3%
-
63 11% 198 139 42%
3%
Total Acura car ................. 118 125 -6% 283 259 9%
MDX .......................................
Feb.
K5 .......................................... 89
2023 2022
Feb. % 2 mos. 2 mos. %
chng. 2023 2022
919 1,052 -13% 2,082 1,893
chng.
10%
54 65% 198 106 87%
Rio ......................................... 284 237 20% 747 466 60%
Soul (I) .................................. 331 969 -66% 776 1,433 -46%
Stinger (I) .............................. 102
82 24% 124 116 7%
Total Kia car (D/I) .............. 1,725 2,394 -28% 3,927 4,014 -2%
Carnival (I) .............................
EV6 (I) ................................... 112
Niro (I) ...................................
Sedona (I) ..............................
636 231 175% 933 300 211%
34 229% 187
2 275 -99%
1
-
2 451
1
34 450%
-
-
Seltos (I) ................................ 1,977 883 124% 2,961 1,241 139%
Sorento .................................. 640 577 11% 1,253 1,568 -20%
Sportage (I) ........................... 1,004 270 272% 1,780 870 105%
Telluride ................................. 430 279 54% 746 422 77%
Kia truck (D) .................... 1,070 856 25% 1,999 1,990 0%
Kia truck (I) ..................... 3,731 1,694 120% 5,863 2,897 102%
Total Kia truck .................. 4,801 2,550 88% 7,862 4,887 61%
Kia Canada (D/I) ............... 6,526 4,944 32% 11,789 8,901 32%
Hyundai-Kia Automotive car .. 3,927 4,417 -11% 7,856 7,991
-2%
Hyundai-Kia Automotive truck .. 11,705 9,173 28% 20,380 16,842 21%
HYUNDAI-KIA AUTOMOTIVE... 15,632 13,590 15% 28,236 24,833 14%
MAZDA CANADA
Mazda3 (D/I) .......................... 600 942 -36% 1,175 1,877 -37%
MX-5 Miata (I) ....................... 77 104 -26% 123 177 -31%
Total Mazda car (D/I) .......... 677 1,046 -35% 1,298 2,054 -37%
CX-3 (I) ..................................
0 550
-
0 973
- 464
-
CX-30 ..................................... 927 432 115% 1,777 493 260%
CX-5 (I) .................................. 589 1,304 -55% 1,682 3,113 -46%
CX-50 ..................................... 246
-
CX-9 (I) .................................. 251 234 7% 588 379 55%
MX-30 (I) ............................... 24
50 -52% 47
97 -52%
Mazda truck (D) ................ 1,173 432 172% 2,241 493 355%
Mazda truck (I) ................. 864 2,138 -60% 2,317 4,562 -49%
Total Mazda truck .............. 2,037 2,570 -21% 4,558 5,055 -10%
MAZDA CANADA ................ 2,714 3,616 -25% 5,856 7,109 -18%
SUBARU
BRZ (I) ................................... 26
WRX (I) ................................. 152
78 -67% 39 159 -75%
49 -35% 57
5
- 338
-
Impreza .................................. 211 254 -17% 386 500 -23%
Legacy ................................... 32
PANELISTS
EVs Decoded, Feb. 28
New public chargers also
should have higher capacities,
reflecting advances in EV battery-recharging
speed. Five
years ago, 50 kilowatts was the
industry standard, said Buff.
" Today, it's 150 kilowatts,
minimum, and consumers are
really actually demanding 200
and above. "
Mike Buff
Senior manager,
Electrify America
and Electrify
Canada
Alan Bird
CEO, taq
Automotive
Intelligence
Adams pointed out that there
is a learning curve for new EV
owners in terms of understanding
that not all chargers are the
same, including Level 3 chargers.
He compared it to learning
about different grades of gasoline.
" We
want to take as many
barriers out of the way as possible
for consumer adoption, " he
said.
Cara
Clairman
President,
Plug'n Drive
David Adams
President, Global
Automakers of
Canada
so commuters can recharge at
work. But Clairman said that
would put extra pressure on the
power grid during a peak period
of electricity consumption.
Adams said he expects EV
availability to be limited for at
least a couple more years. Prices
remain relatively high and provincial
government incentives
vary.
This means that finding innovative
ways to improve affordability
is necessary, the panelists
said, including enlisting
finance arms and considering
approaches such as a subscription
model, for which drivers
pay a monthly fee for use of the
vehicle. - ANC
Vehicles are domestic unless noted.
Feb.
GX (I) ..................................... 56
LX (I) ..................................... 20
NX (D) .................................. 747
2023 2022
Feb. % 2 mos. 2 mos. %
chng. 2023 2022
chng.
27 107% 139
13 54% 42
0 - 1,599
1
38 266%
20 110%
0 -
NX (I) .................................... 77 309 -75% 144 535 -73%
Total NX ................................. 824 309 167% 1,743 535 226%
RX (D) .................................. 865 616 40% 1,747 1,253 39%
RX (I) .................................... 0 27 -
43 -98%
Total RX ................................. 865 643 35% 1,748 1,296 35%
UX (I) ..................................... 115 125 -8% 266 270 -1%
Lexus truck (D) ................. 1,612 616 162% 3,346 1,253 167%
Lexus truck (I) .................. 268 501 -47% 592 906 -35%
Total Lexus truck ............... 1,880 1,117 68% 3,938 2,159 82%
Lexus (D) ........................ 1,675 722 132% 3,495 1,453 141%
Lexus (I) ......................... 375 623 -40% 840 1,141 -26%
Total Lexus ...................... 2,050 1,345 52% 4,335 2,594 67%
86 (I) ..................................... 21 123 -83% 34 168 -80%
Avalon ....................................
-
487 883 -45% 986
-
1
7 -86%
5
5
1
-
Camry .................................... 723 397 82% 1,142 898 27%
Corolla (D) ............................
1,660 -41%
Corolla (I) ............................. 659 664 -1% 1,736 989 76%
4
8
2 300% 23
8 188%
Total Corolla ........................... 1,146 1,547 -26% 2,722 2,649 3%
Crown (I) ...............................
Mirai (I) .................................
12 -58%
12 -58%
Prius (I) ................................. 21 287 -93% 99 495 -80%
Supra (I) ................................
Toyota car (D) .................. 1,210 1,280 -5% 2,128 2,559 -17%
Toyota car (I) ................... 714 1,083 -34% 1,897 1,672 13%
Total Toyota car ................ 1,924 2,363 -19% 4,025 4,231 -5%
4Runner (I) ............................
BZ4x (I) ................................. 84
C-HR (I) .................................
216 705 -69% 549
2 682
RAV4 (D) .............................. 4,310 2,527
RAV4 (I) ................................ 180
93 -39%
16
Subaru car (D) .................. 243 303 -20% 443 593 -25%
Subaru car (I) ................... 178
240 257 -7% 507 504
- 201
Crosstrek (I) .......................... 1,332 1,378 -3% 2,231 2,569 -13%
Forester (I) ............................. 580 695 -17% 1,161 1,431 -19%
Outback ................................. 623 631 -1% 1,453 1,385 5%
Solterra (I) ............................. 119
-
Subaru truck (D) ................ 863 888 -3% 1,960 1,889 4%
Subaru truck (I) ................. 2,031 2,073 -2% 3,593 4,000 -10%
Total Subaru truck ............. 2,894 2,961 -2% 5,553 5,889 -6%
Subaru (D) ...................... 1,106 1,191 -7% 2,403 2,482 -3%
Subaru (I) ....................... 2,209 2,156 2% 3,970 4,175 -5%
SUBARU .......................... 3,315 3,347
-1% 6,373 6,657
-4%
TOYOTA CANADA
ES .......................................... 63 106 -41% 149 200 -26%
IS (I) ...................................... 101 100 1% 234 202 16%
LC (I) .....................................
LS (I) .....................................
RC (I) .....................................
4
2
11 -64%
1 100%
10
-
6
6
2
15 -60%
3 100%
15 -87%
Lexus car (D) ................... 63 106 -41% 149 200 -26%
Lexus car (I) .................... 107 122 -12% 248 235 6%
Total Lexus car ................. 170 228 -25% 397 435 -9%
83 114% 377 175 115%
1%
Total Subaru car ................ 421 386 9% 820 768 7%
Ascent ....................................
Total RAV4 ............................. 4,490 2,549
Sequoia .................................. 20
- 296
-
1,159 -53%
2 841
28 -11% 62
4 400% 46
22 718% 342
71% 7,839 5,349
31
76% 8,181 5,380
-
-
Corolla Cross ......................... 650 409 59% 1,457 852 71%
Highlander ............................. 1,057 1,143 -8% 2,607 2,553 2%
Land Cruiser (I) ..................... 25
71 -13%
47%
-
52%
44 5%
Sienna .................................... 73 519 -86% 307 1,240 -75%
Tacoma .................................. 492 690 -29% 1,430 1,928 -26%
Tundra.................................... 913 788 16% 1,440 1,522 -5%
Venza (I) ................................ 37 302 -88% 151 610 -75%
Toyota truck (D) ................ 7,515 6,080 24% 15,126 13,488 12%
Toyota truck (I) ................. 544 1,739 -69% 1,402 2,712 -48%
Total Toyota truck .............. 8,059 7,819 3% 16,528 16,200 2%
Toyota (D) ....................... 8,725 7,360 19% 17,254 16,047 8%
Toyota (I) ........................ 1,258 2,822 -55% 3,299 4,384 -25%
Total Toyota ..................... 9,983 10,182 -2% 20,553 20,431 1%
Toyota Canada car ............. 2,094 2,591 -19% 4,422 4,666 -5%
Toyota Canada truck ........... 9,939 8,936 11% 20,466 18,359 11%
Toyota Canada (D) ............. 10,400 8,082 29% 20,749 17,500 19%
Toyota Canada (I) .............. 1,633 3,445 -53% 4,139 5,525 -25%
TOYOTA CANADA................ 12,033 11,527 4% 24,888 23,025 8%
VOLVO CARS N.A.
VOLVO CAR CANADA ........... 802 701 14% 1,539 1,276 21%
Note: (D) = produced in North America; (I) = imported to Canada
Source: Automotive News Research & Data Center
http://www.automotivenews.ca
Automotive News Canada - March 2023

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