Canada recorded 547,673 new motor-vehicle registrations in Q2 2026, up 1.1% year over year and 37.7% from Q1. Zero-emission vehicles—battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles under Statistics Canada’s definition—accounted for 58,811 registrations, or 10.7% of the total. This Motorz.ca analysis separates counts, shares and changes so those measures are not confused.
Key finding: ZEV volume grew 26.7% year over year, but adoption remained highly uneven: British Columbia reached an 18.7% share and Quebec 17.8%, compared with 2.6% in Saskatchewan. Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador cannot be ranked because provincial estimates are currently unavailable.
What changed in Canadian vehicle registrations in Q2 2026?
The national total was the highest for a second quarter since 2019. Hybrid-electric registrations rose 39.5% year over year, battery-electric vehicles 37.4%, and plug-in hybrids 8.0%. Gasoline registrations fell 7.3% and diesel registrations fell 12.6%. Those are changes in registration counts—not market-sales claims, fleet counts or forecasts.
The quarter-over-quarter jump needs context. Q1 is seasonally weaker, and the published table is not seasonally adjusted. Motorz.ca therefore treats the 37.7% national rebound from Q1 as a descriptive comparison rather than proof of a lasting acceleration.
Q2 2026 registrations by province and powertrain
| Geography | All new registrations | Battery electric | Plug-in hybrid | ZEV share | ZEV YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 547,673 | 40,585 | 18,226 | 10.7% | 26.7% |
| Prince Edward Island | 2,173 | 57 | 83 | 6.4% | 16.7% |
| Nova Scotia | 18,026 | 434 | 436 | 4.8% | 46.0% |
| New Brunswick | 12,742 | 285 | 392 | 5.3% | -16.6% |
| Quebec | 133,317 | 17,190 | 6,511 | 17.8% | 12.5% |
| Ontario | 208,445 | 12,176 | 4,966 | 8.2% | 46.6% |
| Manitoba | 16,201 | 594 | 383 | 6.0% | 39.2% |
| Saskatchewan | 15,813 | 210 | 206 | 2.6% | 39.6% |
| British Columbia | 61,544 | 7,779 | 3,714 | 18.7% | 31.5% |
Ontario recorded 17,142 ZEVs and the strongest year-over-year increase among the large reported provinces at 46.6%. Quebec led reported provincial ZEV volume with 23,701. British Columbia had the highest reported ZEV share at 18.7%. Smaller provincial percentages can move sharply on modest counts, so volume and share should be read together.
What the data says about electric, hybrid and gasoline demand
- BEVs: 40,585 registrations nationally; 37.4% higher than Q2 2025.
- PHEVs: 18,226; 8.0% higher year over year.
- ZEVs combined: 58,811 and a 10.7% share.
- Conventional hybrids: the fastest-growing fuel category at 39.5% year over year, but Statistics Canada does not classify them as ZEVs.
- Gasoline and diesel: both declined year over year, while total registrations still rose.
This combination suggests buyers did not move in a single direction. Electrified choices gained registrations while combustion-only powertrains contracted, but gasoline vehicles remained the majority. Readers comparing purchase options can use Motorz.ca’s electric-vehicle resource hub and hybrid guide for the technology and ownership differences.
Methodology and limitations
Motorz.ca downloaded Statistics Canada table 20-10-0025-01 on September 10, 2026. We filtered the quarterly table to total vehicle type and number of vehicles, then calculated ZEV count as battery-electric plus plug-in hybrid registrations. Share equals that sum divided by all-fuel registrations. Year-over-year compares Q2 2026 with Q2 2025; quarter-over-quarter compares Q2 2026 with Q1 2026.
- Registrations are first-time registrations of vehicles from the previous, current or following model year; they are not identical to retail sales.
- Data is not seasonally adjusted.
- Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador provincial estimates are unavailable because of data-sharing limitations, although they remain in the Canadian total.
- Counts may be revised by Statistics Canada.
- Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
Bottom line
Q2 2026 was a strong registration quarter, and ZEVs held above one-tenth of the national market for a third consecutive quarter. The clearest provincial story is divergence: Quebec and British Columbia had shares near 18%, while Saskatchewan remained below 3%. The next release will show whether the national rebound persists beyond the spring quarter.
Sources
- Statistics Canada, New motor vehicle registrations, second quarter 2026 (released September 8, 2026).
- Statistics Canada table 20-10-0025-01 (downloaded September 10, 2026).
Related analysis: compare the same quarter by vehicle body type or see new registrations per 100,000 residents.