Federal EV rebates return—sales jump 83% in March
Ottawa's electric vehicle subsidies came back Feb. 16 after a freeze, prompting Canadians to rush the market. Here's what the numbers show.
Electric vehicle sales in Canada surged 83 percent in March compared to February, Statistics Canada data released Thursday shows, with buyers rushing to take advantage of federal rebates that finally returned after a painful pause.
Ottawa had froze EV subsidies in January 2025 when the previous program ran out of funding, leaving dealers and buyers in limbo for six weeks. The federal government reactivated the program on February 16, opening the floodgates: 21,547 new EVs were purchased in March—the highest monthly total since December 2024, right before the shutdown.
Compared to March 2025, this year's sales are up 75 percent, a substantial jump that suggests pent-up demand was real. Buyers who had delayed purchases waiting for the rebate returned to showrooms. The question now is whether this momentum holds or if it flattens once the initial surge subsides.
For Montreal residents considering the switch to electric, the timing matters. Federal rebates—up to $5,000 for new vehicles and $2,500 for used ones—can meaningfully shift the economics of going EV. If you've been on the fence, the rebate window is open again, though nothing's guaranteed about how long the program will stay funded this time.