Households and the Environment Survey: Electric and hybrid vehicles, 2021
Released: 2024-08-13
Overall, 9 in 10 Canadian households owned a vehicle in 2021
Just under 9 in 10 Canadian households (89%) had a vehicle that used gasoline or diesel in 2021, and 5% of households had an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle. While 3% of households had both a gasoline vehicle and some type of electric or hybrid vehicle, most (85%) households strictly drove gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles. About 2% of households drove a hybrid or pure electric vehicle exclusively.
Almost 1 in 10 households in British Columbia have an electric or hybrid vehicle
In 2021, households in British Columbia (9%) and Quebec (6%) most frequently reported having electric and hybrid vehicles, while households in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick were least likely to report having them (about 3% each).
Hybrid vehicles more prevalent than pure electric vehicles
Regardless of the type (see Note to readers), hybrid vehicles (3%) were more frequently reported than pure electric vehicles (2%) in 2021.
Of households that had any type of hybrid in 2021, 76% reported having a non-plug-in hybrid vehicle, while 26% reported having a plug-in hybrid vehicle. A small number of households reported having both types of hybrid vehicles.
Households in British Columbia most likely to report driving a pure electric vehicle
Because they do not use an internal combustion engine, pure electric vehicles have the lowest emissions among the different types of vehicles Canadian households reported having. However, they also have the lowest uptake among Canadian households, with 2% of households reporting having one in 2021.
Households in British Columbia (4%), Quebec (2%) and Ontario (1%) were most likely to report driving a pure electric vehicle in 2021.
Over four in five households that own a hybrid or electric vehicle have a charging station
Owners of plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles need to use a charging station to recharge the battery of their vehicle. Over four in five Canadian households that had a plug-in hybrid or pure electric vehicle (83%) reported having charging stations at their homes in 2021. Of the 324,388 charging stations reported, 185,984 of them were Level 2, and they were reported by 58% of households that had a chargeable vehicle. About 138,404 charging stations were Level 1, and they were reported by 45% of households that had a chargeable vehicle.
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Note to readers
Electric vehicles (EVs) fall into two broad categories: hybrid vehicles that use a combination of gasoline engines and electric motors, and pure electric vehicles that only use electric motors.
Plug-in hybrids
Plug-in hybrid vehicles require the driver to plug it in periodically to recharge the battery.
Non-plug-in hybrids
Non-plug-in hybrid vehicles use various methods to charge the battery powering the electric motor that do not involve plugging the vehicle in, such as using the gasoline or diesel motor to power a generator, or using regenerative technology to generate electricity when the brakes are applied.
Pure electric vehicles
Sometimes called zero-emission vehicles, pure electric vehicles only use electricity from a battery that is periodically charged from a charging station.
About charging stations
Charging stations are needed to recharge the batteries in plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles. There are two types of charging stations that can be installed at the homes of EV owners: Level 1 and Level 2. Level 3 charging stations are not used in residential installations.
Level 1 charging stations
Level 1 charging stations use 120 volts and recharge an EV at a rate of about 200 kilometres of range in 20 hours.
Level 2 charging stations
Level 2 charging stations use 240 volts and recharge an EV at a rate of about 30 kilometres of range an hour.
Level 3 charging stations
Level 3 charging stations are often used in non-residential charging stations, such as those found at public charging locations. They tend to use higher voltages, such as 480 volts, to recharge EVs at a rate of 125 to 2,000 kilometres of range an hour, meaning they can typically recharge an EV from empty in as little as 30 to 60 minutes.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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