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Federal vehicle sales data show Canada's EV sales jumped 75 per cent in March 2025 compared with March 2024, reaching 12.2 per cent of new vehicle sales, up from 6.5 per cent a year earlier. Regional gains included a 136 per cent increase in Quebec, 53 per cent in British Columbia and the territories, and 40 per cent in Ontario. Clean Energy Canada attributed the surge to the return of the $5,000 federal EV rebate in February and rising fuel prices linked to conflict in Iran.

Why it matters: A sustained rebound in EV adoption will accelerate demand for public and workplace charging infrastructure across all three provinces. Procurement teams and charge point operators should prepare for higher utilisation and network expansion, particularly in British Columbia and Quebec where EVs now account for more than one in five new vehicle sales.

A Brattle Group analysis commissioned by Clean Energy Canada estimates that targeted deployment of distributed energy resources, including battery storage and managed two way EV charging, could reduce Ontario's distribution capital expenditure by 5% to 11% over the next two decades. The study found that the cost of deploying these resources and offering consumer incentives would be lower than the combined savings from avoided generation, transmission and distribution upgrades. The research modelled technologies such as controllable water heaters, battery storage, bidirectional EV charging, smart thermostats and solar PV as alternatives to traditional grid reinforcement.

Why it matters: Procurement teams and charge point operators planning Ontario projects can now quantify the business case for integrating vehicle to grid and storage into grid service contracts, potentially unlocking new revenue streams while helping utilities defer expensive substation and feeder work. The findings give local distribution companies and the Independent Electricity System Operator a financial benchmark for non wires tenders that include managed EV charging infrastructure.