The electric vehicle is more efficient, economical and quiet than a combustion vehicle, which is why the majority of EV drivers responding to a Canadian Automobile Association survey said they would buy another one. But despite these advantages — and a long list of debunked disadvantages — EV growth in North America has been underwhelming.

Certainly, there are political headwinds. In 2025, Donald Trump’s administration axed a $7,500 tax credit on EVs, rolled back stricter vehicle emissions standards, introduced punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs and more recently banned 2027 Polestar models, which prompted the company to pull its operations from the United States.

In Canada, the bottom fell out of the EV market after Prime Minister Mark Carney killed the EV rebate, but in less than a year he introduced a new rebate and negotiated a deal to import some Chinese EVs.

In Mexico, progressive policies have EVs gaining market share — especially inexpensive Chinese models, which have captured 70 per cent of Mexico’s growing EV market. However, policy rollbacks have already begun.

Why manufacturers and dealerships refuse to change 

Tesla and BYD don’t have any legacy-product baggage complicating their business model and can focus on EV technology. But Toyota and others still waste engineering and production time on ICE models. As a result, their best-selling bZ EV drives beautifully, but designers seem to be putting less effort into key features that aren’t transferable to their ICE models. 

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda recently admitted that he loves the combustion engine and wants to protect the jobs of people making them. That admirable concern may be in vain if customers prefer vehicles that........

© National Observer