Vehicle registrations, 2024
Released: 2025-10-17
26.8 million
2024
4.2% 
(annual change)
Highlights
In 2024, a total of 26.8 million road motor vehicles were registered in Canada, up 4.2% from the previous year. More than 9 in 10 (91.6%) were light-duty vehicles (LDVs), 5.2% of which were electric vehicles (EVs), up from 3.9% in 2023.
Please visit the Light and medium-duty vehicle registrations: Interactive dashboard to explore the data more fully.
Total registrations on the rise
In 2024, there were 26.8 million road motor vehicles registered in Canada, up 4.2% from the previous year. This growth was partly due to stronger new motor vehicle sales, which rose 9.5% year over year, and the implementation of an automatic registration renewal system in Ontario in July 2024 (see Note to readers).
LDVs—including passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles, pickup trucks and vans—accounted for 91.6% of all registrations and increased by almost 1 million (+4.2%) from 2023 to 24.6 million vehicles in 2024. Registrations of medium-duty vehicles rose 4.0% year over year, with the most notable growth being among battery electric medium-duty vehicles, which multiplied more than 12-fold, reflecting the introduction of new battery electric models by several manufacturers.
In 2024, registrations of heavy-duty vehicles edged up 0.8% from 2023, with Class 8 vehicles (gross vehicle weight rating above 14,969 kilograms) accounting for most (87.7%) of the heavy-duty vehicle fleet. The number of buses was largely unchanged in 2024, remaining below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, with 556 fewer registrations than there were in 2019.
Multi-purpose vehicles continue to rise sharply
Within the LDV fleet, multi-purpose vehicles (including sport utility vehicles and crossovers) rose 9.3% from 2023 to 10.3 million in 2024. This marked the third consecutive year that registrations of multi-purpose vehicles surpassed those of passenger cars. Multi-purpose vehicles represented 29.8% of LDV registrations in 2017 and have since increased steadily, reaching 41.9% in 2024. Over the same period, the share of passenger cars declined from 45.0% to 35.0%.
According to 2024 new motor vehicle registrations, 62.9% of new vehicles registered were multi-purpose vehicles, compared with 42.1% in 2017, reflecting changing consumer preferences.
Chart 1
Number of light-duty vehicles, by type, Canada, 2017 to 2024
Ontario accounted for 35.9% of all LDV registrations in 2024, at 8.8 million. All provinces and territories saw year-over-year gains, except for Newfoundland and Labrador, where LDV registrations edged down 1.0% in 2024.
Nationally, registrations of LDV pickup trucks rose 3.0% in 2024, while van registrations edged down 0.1%.
Rising share of electric vehicles
In 2024, EVs accounted for 5.2% of LDV registrations, up from 3.9% the previous year. This count included 585,978 hybrid electric vehicles, 487,618 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 197,581 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Overall, EV registrations rose by 353,903 (+38.6%) from 2023, with BEVs (+48.8%) recording the strongest growth.
Chart 2
Annual growth in the number of light-duty vehicle registrations by selected fuel type, Canada, 2018 to 2024
Despite this increase, gasoline-powered LDVs accounted for 92.1% of registrations in 2024, down from 96.0% in 2017. The proportion of diesel-powered LDVs also declined, down from 3.1% in 2017 to 2.7% in 2024.
Zero-emission vehicles grow sharply
Zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)—which include BEVs and PHEVs—represented 2.8% of LDV registrations in 2024, up 44.9% (+212,473 registrations) from 2023. The strongest growth in 2024 was seen in Quebec (+94,503 registrations; +47.6%), Ontario (+55,667 registrations; +47.8%) and British Columbia (+44,429 registrations; +35.3%).
Although ZEV growth was strong in 2024, its momentum seems to be slowing in 2025, as some government rebate programs have been paused or reduced starting in January 2025. Indeed, the number of new ZEV registrations fell year over year in the first two quarters of 2025, partly reflecting the impact of these program changes.
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Note to readers
The annual count of registered vehicles is based on administrative files provided by each province and territory. Registered vehicles are road motor vehicles including light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles as well as buses, motorcycles and mopeds. Each iteration of these files contains updated information.
Beginning in July 2024, Ontario implemented an automatic registration renewal program for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds. This change contributed to an increase in active registrations in the province, as vehicles that might otherwise have lapsed were automatically renewed.
The 2023 count of heavy-duty vehicle registrations for Quebec was revised upward based on updated information and estimation methods.
Definitions:
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR): the maximum weight a vehicle is designed to carry. Manufacturers set the GVWR.
Light-duty vehicles refer to vehicles with a GVWR less than or equal to 4,536 kilograms (0 to 10,000 pounds) and include GVWR classes 1 and 2.
Medium-duty vehicles refer to vehicles with a GVWR from 4,536 kilograms to 11,793 kilograms (10,001 to 26,000 pounds) and include GVWR classes 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Heavy-duty vehicles refer to vehicles with a GVWR greater than or equal to 11,794 kilograms (26,001 pounds and greater) and include GVWR classes 7 and 8.
Battery electric vehicles are vehicles powered solely by a rechargeable battery pack and produce zero tailpipe emissions.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are vehicles with a rechargeable battery pack and an internal combustion engine. They run on electric power until the battery is drained and then the internal combustion engine takes over for propulsion.
Zero-emission vehicles are battery electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that have the potential to produce no tailpipe emissions.
Hybrid electric vehicles have a rechargeable battery pack providing an extra boost of power, in addition to having an internal combustion engine. They are not considered part of zero-emission vehicles.
The Transportation Data and Information Hub, featuring data from Statistics Canada, Transport Canada and partners, provides Canadians with online access to comprehensive statistics and indicators for the country's transportation sector.
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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