More than seven-in-ten of the province’s residents endorse the goal of only selling “zero emission” vehicles by 2040.
Vancouver, BC [May 3, 2022] – The proportion of drivers in British Columbia who are willing to consider the purchase of an electric vehicle has increased since 2020, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 59% of British Columbians who drive their own vehicles claim it is “very likely” or “moderately likely” that the next car they buy for themselves or their household will be electric, up six points since a similar Research Co. survey conducted in May 2021.
“Significant majorities of drivers in Metro Vancouver (64%) and the Fraser Valley (62%) foresee their next vehicle being electric,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportions are lower in Southern BC (54%), Vancouver Island (53%) and Northern BC (36%).”
The Government of British Columbia has passed legislation to ensure that, by the year 2040, all light-duty cars and trucks sold in the province will be “zero emission.” More than seven-in-ten British Columbians (73%, +3) endorse this course of action—including 81% of those who voted for the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) in the 2020 provincial election, 76% of those who supported the BC Green Party and 73% of those who cast ballots for the BC Liberals.
More than three-in-four British Columbians aged 18 to 34 (78%) endorse the provincial government’s “zero emission” mandate, along with 75% of those aged 35-to-54 and 69% of those aged 55 and over.
More than half of British Columbians (53%, +2) believe the goal established by the provincial government on the issue of “zero emission” vehicles is “achievable”, while 39% (+3) think it is “not achievable.”
When British Columbians who drive their own cars are asked about issues that would make them less likely to purchase an electric vehicle, 59% say the vehicles are too expensive when compared to non-electric options—a proportion that rises to 66% among those aged 55 and over and to 70% among residents of Vancouver Island.
A majority of British Columbians who drive their own cars (54%) say they fear becoming stranded in an electric vehicle if they cannot find a charging station, and half (50%) are worried about not having enough places to charge the vehicle in the areas where they usually drive.
More than two-in-five British Columbians who drive their own cars (44%) are concerned about not having a place to charge an electric vehicle where they currently live, while 13% cite the “feel” of the vehicle compared with a non-electric option.
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from April 25 to April 27, 2022, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca