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Available EVs in Canada

Note: this page is no longer updated – as EVs have become more popular in Canada, with many more options available, it is no longer worth the effort for one volunteer individual to update. Instead, check-out my take on EVs for mountain towns (coming soon).

This page contains a list of available plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for Canada, and a preview for any that have been confirmed as coming to Canada within the coming year.  The PHEV/BEV market is still quite young in Canada, and some manufacturer’s are selling many more vehicles than others.  The ‘modern’ era of EV/PHEVs began circa 2010, so a number of the vehicles below (in particular the Leaf and Volt) can be found used now.  Here are the reports for sales in Canada for 2015, 2016 and 2017.  Sales increased by almost 70% YoY!

2018 was a really strong year with record sales of EVs in China, Europe, the US and Canada!  (Final numbers to come…) New entries such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the Tesla Model 3, plus the upgraded 2018 Nissan Leaf are driving sales in Canada, while in the US it was largely the Tesla Model 3.

In the West Kootenay’s, I am aware of several Nissan LEAFs, several Volts, 3-4 Bolts, 2 Model S, several Model 3 and 2 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

I have driven a number of these vehicles on the list – feel free to ask me directly for further impressions if you wish (including the LEAF, Model S, Model X, Model 3, Bolt, Volt, Outlander and C-Max).  I own a 2014 Leaf SL and a 2018 Model 3 LR RWD.

Last updated January 2019 (added the bigger battery Leaf and more info on the Kona – first one has sold in Canada!  Also updated DCFC speed on a number of cars as more information became available and links to Fastned charge profiles.  Lastly, added a caveat on DCFC speed at the bottom of the table… YMMV).

This page used to be just a list of cars, but now that we have so many available in Canada now, I’ve added a table at the beginning of each section with some very basic stats to provide a summary.

BEVs

Brand/
Model
Electric Range (km) 1 Fast Charging? 2 Price Range3 (thousands of $) AWD/
4WD/
2WD?
Dealer in the Koots?4
BMW i3 (2014 – 2016) 130 CCS, 50kW $24 – 45 RWD No
BMW i3 (2017 – 2018) 183 CCS, 50kW $53 – 58 RWD No
Chevrolet Bolt (2017 – 2018) 383 CCS, 50kW  $45 – 50 FWD Yes, Castlegar & Cranbrook
Ford Focus Electric (2012 – 2016) 122 N/A  $15 – 25 FWD No
Ford Focus Electric (2017 – 2018) 185 CCS, 50kW  $32 – 34 FWD No
Kia Niro EV (coming 2019) 382 CCS, 77kW  TBD (~46 – 52) FWD No, though Castlegar becoming an EV dealer
Kia Soul EV (2014 – 2017) 150

179 (2018)

CHAdeMO, 50kW  $22 – 30 used

$37 – 41 new

FWD See above
Hyundai IONIQ (2017 – 2018) 200 CCS, 70kW  $35 – 42 FWD Yes, Castlegar
Hyundai Kona EV (2019) 412 CCS, 77kW $46 – 52 FWD See above
Mitsubishi i-MiEV (2011 – 2016) 95 CHAdeMO, 50kW  $10 – 20 used RWD No
Nissan Leaf (2011 to 2015, 2016 S) 135 CHAdeMO, 50kW  $10 – 25 FWD No
Nissan Leaf (2016 SV & SL, all 2017 models) 172 CHAdeMO, 50kW  $28 – 32 used    $33 – 38 new FWD No
Nissan Leaf (2018 – 2019) 240 CHAdeMO, 50kW  $37 and up FWD No
Nissan Leaf e+ (2019) 360* CHAdeMO, 70kW  $TBD (~>45) FWD No
Smart fortwo electric drive 109 N/A  $8 – 20 used      $30 – 33 new RWD No
Tesla Model 3 5  350* – 499 Supercharger, 120kW  $46 to 72 RWD/AWD Sort of, see below
Volkswagen e-Golf (2017 – 2018) 201 CCS, 40kW $25 – 30 used    $36 new FWD No

Notes:

The incentive program in BC, CEV for BC, gives a $5,000 rebate for vehicles under $77,000.  See program page for details.  Scrapping an older car can get you more!

1 – the combined cycle (highway/city) electric only range as shown on the EPA’s FuelEconomy.gov website.  Ignore any rating you see that isn’t based on the EPA drive cycle, as they are out to lunch (eg. NEDC, WLTP, etc)

2 – CHAdeMO, CCS and Superchargers are NOT interchangeable. However, many DCFC are dual-standard CHAdeMO/CCS; and for a Tesla Model S or X, you can buy a CHAdeMO adapter. Go to my Charging page for more details and a video showing what a fast charger looks like, how to use it, and how long it might take.  NOTE:  charge speeds are maximum under optimal conditions, check the individual Fastned links for more details on charging profile.  Most cars will charge slower in the winter!  (Unless you’ve had a long drive so the battery is warm…)

3 – For new cars, MSRP price.  For used cars, a quick snapshot from AutoTraders.ca.

4 – if there is no dealer in the Kootenays, the closest is usually Kelowna

5 – There are too many Tesla battery pack size variants to track here! So I’ve given the lowest and highest range available.

* – Estimated! Car is about to be released and hasn’t been rated by the EPA yet.

A bit more detail on each model is below:

BMW i3 – released mid-2014 in Canada, BMW put a lot of effort into lightening the vehicle to improve the efficiency.  It also comes in a “range extender” version, which incorporates a small gasoline motor in the trunk area that is hooked to a generator.

Aug 2016 update:  BMW has upgraded the battery by about 50%; range is up about the same.

Chevrolet Bolt – this car was announced as a concept at the Detroit auto show in early 2015, then later in 2015, due to strong interest, Chevrolet confirmed it was heading to production.  In January of 2016, Chevy previewed the production version and stated that production would start in late 2016!  (Which they did, first deliveries in the US in December 2016.)  That is very fast from concept to implementation!

So why all the excitement?  Well, it was the first car to be released of the 2nd generation of modern EVs – it has 230+ miles of range (380+ km), and the selling price is $43,000 (previously this type of range was only available on the Model S, with a current entry price of $92,500 new, or $65,000 used).

Now available in Canada!  Read my review of it too.

Ford Focus EV – Based on the regular Focus, I have never seen one ‘in the wild’.  From all accounts it is a nice refined car (if you can get over the battery intrusion into the trunk space), but it does not include fast-charging, a mistake in my opinion. and the 2017 now includes CCS fast charging – more here.  Still no redesign of the car yet.

Kia Soul EV – released at the end of 2014, this vehicle has many of the features of the LEAF with a now similar slightly longer range.  A great blog post to read on the differences between the Leaf and the Soul EV can be read here.  If this car had been available early 2014, I definitely would have compared against my Leaf.

Kia Niro EV – this car was recently officially announced at an event in South Korea.  No word on exactly when we will see it in Canada, but likely early 2019.  I think this will be a great car – it has similar passenger room to the Bolt, but luggage room closer to the Leaf.  It features faster charging then either the Leaf or the Bolt, which makes it pretty close to replacing a gasmobile for road trips.

Hyundai IONIQ – this vehicle is a lift-back design similar to the Prius and is a direct competitor to Toyota.  The hybrid version beats the Prius for economy, but the real kicker is that the exact same car in EV form is more than twice as efficient!  It is offered in a regular hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric only version.

Hyundai Kona EV – based on gasoline version of the same name, but with the same powertrain as the Kia Niro (see above).  Should also do pretty well, though it has less luggage capacity then the Niro (about similar to the Bolt).  Release in Canada should be similar to the Niro.

Unfortunately it looks like both the Niro and the Kona will be made in limited supply, similar to the IONIQ (which has been pretty hard to buy in Canada so far)… but they are now arriving!

Mitsubishi i-MiEV – another small city car, much-loved by the people who own it.  It is RWD, seats 4, an EPA range of 100km, and has a tight turning radius.  Two long-term reviews are here and here.  You can find them used at a quite reasonable price now – I’ve seen them as low as $9k, which is pretty darn competitive if all you are looking for is a city runabout or for a relatively short commute!

Nissan LEAF – The LEAF has been available since December of 2010, though you could only really find it at dealerships in Canada starting late 2014.  One of the top 3 sellers to-date in Canada, the most sold worldwide (though not for much longer!), and the first EV that we  purchased in May 2014.

You can watch a video I made that discusses a number of topics about the Leaf, including why I bought it, how it drives, and many other items.  It runs about 35 minutes and was taken during a regular commute to work.  The video description includes timestamps of different topics if you want to jump around.  This post shows how versatile the car can be if you are willing.

You can now find used models in the mid 20’s down to the low teens.  For our region, I would advise to purchase a 2013 model year or later (SV or SL trim), as at this point they included a higher power Level 2 on-board charger (6.6 vs 3.3 kW) and a heat-pump that uses less energy in the winter.  If you aren’t worried about range and are just looking for an around-town car, a 2011 or 2012 should work just fine, though only the 2012’s included heated seats and steering wheel.

The 2016 models have a 30 kWh battery, so if you need that extra range (up to 172 km of EPA range rather than 135 km), you now have the option!  2017 brought the 30 kWh battery straight across the range.

Here is a video review of the increased range for the 2016 model, done in the southern mountains of France near Nice, by the “Fully Charged” show – have a watch, even if just for the scenery!

The 2018 Nissan Leaf has been announced!  (Sep 2017).  Now with a 40 kWh battery, 240 km range, and ProPilot (Nissan’s first phase of autonomous driving).  A nice upgrade over the previous version, for about the same price.  Review by Motor Trend here.

For 2019, the 40 kWh pack continues, but an updated more expensive version is set to join the line-up with a 62 kWh battery pack.  It is called the “e+” in North America.  The car also features more power and faster charging speed.  However, it does still only include an air-cooled battery pack, so don’t expect continuous high-speed charging over multiple fast-charges in a day.

smart fortwo ED – a great small city car that seats 2.  Short range, but it is intended as a city/suburban vehicle, and it works well for that purpose.

Tesla Model 3 – the newest car in the Tesla lineup, a smaller sedan then the Tesla Model S, and less luxurious, but the second long-range car to become available that is more affordable (similar to the Bolt) – and it has brand cachet,  which should disrupt the auto-market as we know it!  First deliveries in Canada were in June, and it is quickly becoming the best selling EV in Canada.  In the US, it has placed in the top 5 sales of ALL cars, only bested by the likes of the Camry and Civic.  I think this really speaks to the unquenched demand for good long-range EVs.

It is currently available in an AWD “long-range” (~499km) and RWD “mid-range”  (~425km) configuration, only with the premium interior upgrade.  The first variant sold was a RWD “long-range”, but was discontinued when the “mid-range” model was introduced.  Next up will be the release of the “standard-range” (~350km) version, probably with premium interior to start.  Sometime in later 2019 I expect they will release the standard interior, though hard to know if it will be available on all “range” versions.

Another very important item to point out, common to all Tesla’s, is the “ecosystem” around the car – Tesla is a dedicated electric-only manufacturer, and is new, so have been able to do things differently than the regular car makers.  This includes the ability to update your car “over the air” via an included cellular connection (or WiFi near your home), which has brought substantial updates to the car in the past.  A major item that has set them apart is the Supercharger network, which is distributed across North America, Europe, and other parts of the world and allows these cars to truly replace a gasmobile for ALL of your driving, not just city driving.

There are no Tesla dealers in the Kootenays, or even the Okanagan (yet), but they will deliver your car to you, and can send out “Ranger” service for many repairs.

We went all-in on EVs and bought a “Long-range rear wheel drive” Model 3 in November 2018, with a home delivery in early December.  Read our reasons why to purchase it in this post.

If you decide to buy a Tesla yourself, please consider using my referral code (use the preceding link, or give this code to a Sales Advisor “andrew71174”) – depending on the program details at the time, you get a discount or perk of some kind!

Volkswagen e-Golf – the e-Golf has been available in a number of countries for a few years now, but the G&M notes that in mid-2017, we will now be able to get the refreshed version in Canada!  Quick stats, 35 kWh battery, 200 km EPA range, ~135 hp, and ~215 ft/lb torque.  Should be a fun car and very suitable for many people.  It sells like hotcakes in Norway, coming close to outselling the gasoline model.

PHEVs

Brand/
Model
Electric Range (km) 1 ICE Fuel Economy (L/100km) 2 Price Range (thousands of $) AWD/
4WD/
2WD?
Dealer in the Koots?3
Audi A3 etron 25 6.7 $40 – 45 FWD No
BMW 330e 22 7.6  $53 RWD No
Chevrolet Volt (2015 & earlier) 61 6.4  $15 – 29 FWD Yes, Castlegar and Cranbrook
Chevrolet Volt (2016 & newer) 85 5.6 $29 – 40 used    $39 – 42 new FWD Yes, see above
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid 52 7.4 (for a van!!)  $57 FWD Yes, Nelson
Ford C-Max Energi (up to 2016) 32 6.2  $16 – 30 used FWD No
Ford Fusion Energi 32 6.2 $17 – 30 used    $37 – 46 new FWD No
Honda Clarity PHEV 77 5.6  $42 – 46 FWD No
Hyundai Sonata PHEV 43 6.0  $44 FWD No
Hyundai IONIQ PHEV 46 4.5  $24 – 32 FWD No
Kia Niro PHEV  42 5.1  TBA FWD No
Kia Optima PHEV 46 5.9  $44.5 – 48 FWD No
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 35 9.4  $45 – 48 AWD/4WD Yes, Cranbrook
Toyota Prius PHEV (2015 & earlier) 17 4.7  basically unavailable FWD Yes, Nelson
Toyota Prius PRIME (2018) 40 4.4  $33 – 35 FWD Yes, see above

The incentive program in BC, CEV for BC, gives a $2,500 rebate for vehicles under $77,000.  See program page for details.

1 – the combined cycle (highway/city) electric only range as shown on the EPA’s FuelEconomy.gov websiteNotes

2 – the combined cycle fuel consumption when running the gasoline engine as shown on the EPA’s website

3 – if there is no dealer in the Kootenays, the closest is usually Kelowna

* – Estimated! Car is about to be released and hasn’t been rated by the EPA yet.

In general, I think the PHEV sweet-spot is when you get over a 30 – 40 km range, as this allows you to do the vast majority of your daily driving without the gas engine kicking in.  For one-car families, they make a lot of sense!

Audi A3 Sportback etron – now available in Canada (fall 2016).  This car looks great and is very competitively priced with the gasoline version of the sedan (only $200 more!)  Most importantly, it’s a wagon 😉

BMW 330e – coming soon in Canada (fall 2016).  BMW is starting to offer a PHEV variant in each of it’s “series”; expect to see one or two added each year.  Sorry I can’t provide a link right to it, you need to dig around on their Build & Price sub-site to find it.

Chevrolet Volt – the Volt has been available for about the same amount of time as the Leaf, and is the other vehicle of the top 3 sellers to-date in Canada.  It will travel a maximum of 60 – 80 km before the gasoline engine kicks in.  Many users report greater than 80% of their mileage has been done in EV mode.  The Volt has been redesigned and the 2016 model is now available.

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid – the ‘inventor’ of the mini-van and ‘Stow n Go’ seats has another first for their list, the first PHEV mini-van available in North America.  This vehicle looks quite decent, it has a good sized battery pack for about 40 – 50 km of all electric range, and will stay on electric motors only up to 120 km/h.  Here is a good preview article.

Ford C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi – both of these models will get you about 30km of travel on EV mode, but if you need cabin heat, or push your foot too far on the accelerator, the gas engine will kick-in.

Honda Clarity PHEV – should be available late 2017 or early 2018.  A purpose designed mid-size sedan, in some areas you can get it as a full BEV, but in Canada we will only get the PHEV version.  Good range for a PHEV, but Honda hasn’t been very aggressive with selling their previous hybrids.  We’ll see in a year how well this car is doing.

Hyundai Sonata PHEV – available in Canada in 2016, a mid-size sedan.  A much nicer design and packaging then the Ford offerings.  Annoyingly you can only get it in the highest trim, which inflates the price (which is unfortunately the norm, not the exception at this point).  Summary review here.

Kia Niro PHEV – the Niro is a mid-sized CUV (review) and is expected to be released in Canada late in 2017 as both a hybrid and a PHEV version.  This is looking to be a decent offering!  Update May 2018:  you can buy the hybrid model, but not the PHEV yet.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – this vehicle was released in Canada in early 2018 – and it is a hot seller!  Over 5000 sold in its first year, 21% of Mitsubishi’s total sales in Canada.  Maybe the Outlander PHEV will displace the Subaru as the ‘car of the Kootenays’!!  Up to 35 km of all electric range combined with a 4WD system and towing ability, what’s not to like?

Toyota Prius PRIME – Toyota has announced a new variant of Prius – the Prime.  This is a much more capable plug-in hybrid than the first gen Prius PHEV – you can actually drive on JUST electricity (which is kinda the point of a PHEV!) update:  apparently Toyota still hasn’t really sorted out what a PHEV really can be… car still turns on the engine at random times in anything other than fair weather (e.g. 20C).

It has a range of about 40 km, and when you run out of electricity, it will sip at about 4.4 L/100 km.  Given the strong brand of Toyota, this car should sell well.  A good preview article at Motor Trend.  Early sales in the US have been very good, with 20% of all Prii sold as a PHEV Prime (and that with limited availability still!)

14 thoughts on “Available EVs in Canada”

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  2. I will be buying a 2013 Leaf SL in the USA for about $8K. Lots of them coming off Nissan leases. These are low mile units also. If you want one, contact me and I can help you out.

    1. Certainly much cheaper than I bought mine for 2.5 years ago! Too bad foresight can’t be 20/20 like hindsight, or I would have waited 😉

    2. I’ve been looking at some reports of inexpensive Leaf’s in the US but haven’t found any reliable info about how it actually works out to bring them north.
      I’d love to hear from you about what you found, how the US purchase went, how the boarder crossing went, and how it went with ICBC and all the Canadian paperwork went!

    1. I’ve been waiting for the Mitsu PHEV for 2 years! Supposedly it will come with the next generation now, which likely won’t be until later 2017 or even 2018.

  3. I am very interested in the recently announced Kia Niro. It is on sale in the U K and supposedly in Canada early this year. More like a small SUV in appearance which appeals to me more than the Prius.

    1. There are rumours of the Niro getting a PHEV version in 2018. Possibly even a full BEV, since it shares the same platform as the new IONIQ.

  4. Great blog… a few updates:
    Prius Prime in Canada is only sold in Quebec – Toyota won’t sell it anywhere else.
    Mitubishi Outlander – now in showroom (here in Toronto) but not yet (Feb 2018) available for test drive. It’s stated electric range is 35km, and ICE economy is aprox 9 l/100 km (ugh!)
    Kia Niro PHEV is not in Canada yet (Feb 2018), but 2 dealers said “3 or 4th quarter this year – ugh!)
    My opinion on the Audi A3 is that it’s stated cargo capacity isn’t enough for anything but a sinle suitcase, if it’s a small one!

  5. Although we do live in Vancouver, we have been enjoying your site. We had been waiting for 6 months for our Kia Niro phev to arrive for sale in Canada and have found your site to be quite informative. So far we’re finding it to be absolutely great, and have been getting over 40 k around town in straight EV mode. Thanks for having all the information available.

    1. Glad you found it useful Craig! Thanks for the feedback on your Niro PHEV. I’ve sat in the hybrid and fiddled with it a bit and my impression was quite favourable of the vehicle. Glad to hear it is working out for you 🙂

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