ZEV registration in Canada hold at 8% in quarter 2

The first half of 2025 has seen zero-emission vehicle sales in Canada drop significantly compared to late 2024. Statistics Canada (StatsCan) released its Q2 2025 data today showing that zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) made up 8.6 per cent of new vehicle registrations — a marginal 0.1 per cent decline from Q1 2025.

On a unit-by-unit basis, 46,366 new ZEVs were registered in Canada between April and June 2025. The year-to-date total now stands at 83,595. (Note: StatsCan classifies BEVs and PHEVs as “zero-emission vehicles.” This grouping does not reflect Electric Autonomy’s policy, which considers only non-combustion engine vehicles as zero-emission. However, where statistics refer to ZEVs, we have adhered to StatsCan’s definition for consistency.) Total vehicle registrations in Canada increased by 26.9 per cent over Q1 2025. “Despite concerns over automobile tariffs, the second quarter of 2025 marked the highest number of new quarterly registrations since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the StatsCan notes. So far, there have been 968,430 new vehicle registrations in Canada this year.

Counting BEVs alone

There were slightly more battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) registered in Q2 than in Q1 2025.
ZEV market share fell to 5.4 per cent in Q2 2025, down from 6.2 per cent in Q1, driven by a sharp increase in total vehicle registrations across all powertrains. Nationally, 29,502 BEVs were registered this quarter compared to 26,401 in Q1 2025.

Most of the new BEV registrations to date are in Quebec (22,964) followed by Ontario (15,981) and British Columbia (12,043). In addition, Quebec saw an increase in BEV registrations between Q1 and Q2 — the only province to do so. (All provinces saw more PHEVs registered in the second quarter than the first.) However, nationally, electric multi-purpose, passenger cars and pickups all posted quarter-over-quarter gains in units registered.

Source: Electric Autonomy

Driver impairment-detection technologies will be added to vehicle safety criteria of a major ratings group this decade. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety told representatives of Mothers Against Drunk Driving that it plans to add the criterion by 2030, in addition to driver-attention systems and speed assistance features. The goal is to encourage automakers to add the technologies to their lineups. IIHS’ safety ratings are also tied to safety awards it bestows on vehicle models that can influence consumer purchases and that automakers and dealers leverage in their marketing. Past awards criteria additions helped move automakers to add air bags and collision-avoidance technology to their vehicles, the nonprofit group said.

Source: F&I and Showroom

U.S. used-vehicle sales enjoyed a healthy bump in August, eclipsing deliveries among their newly minted counterparts. Transactions of franchised and independent retailers combined jumped about 5% over July and by 8% year-over-year to about 1.6 million units, according to Cox Automotive data. Sales were helped along by slightly lower prices – down half a percentage point month-over-month to an average listing price of $25,393, though that was up 1% year-over-year. Cox analyst Scott Vanner, manager of economic and industry insights, hailed “resilient consumer demand.” “Despite inventory challenges, the market continues to perform above expectations,” he said in the report.

Source: Auto Dealer Today

Autoworkers at General Motors’ assembly plant in Wentzville will be temporarily out of work beginning later this month. A spokesperson for GM said in a statement Monday that the company has “temporarily adjusted production schedules at Wentzville Assembly to address supply chain issues and align with overall business needs.” Diana Forbes, GM spokesperson, said the plant is expected to return to normal operations Oct. 20. A notice posted to the United Auto Workers Local 2250 website says the reduction is “due to parts availability” and that the layoff will take place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 19. The notice, dated Friday, was signed by plant executive director Eric Shelhorn and local union Chairman Jon Daugherty.

Source: The Detroit News

Nissan is closing two global design studios, including one in San Diego, and scaling back design duties in Japan and London as part of the embattled company’s fight to save time and money as it overhauls product development to be leaner and meaner in tougher times. Global design chief Alfonso Albaisa told Automotive News the overhaul is part of a radical rework that is slashing the time needed for design work by up to 40 percent. Nissan assesses that the push will also reduce overall design costs in product development by about a quarter.

Source: Automotive News

The cyberattack that has brought Jaguar Land Rover factories to a standstill is affecting suppliers, with some European suppliers forced to pause or scale back their own production. German company Eberspächer, which produces exhaust systems for the British automaker, was forced to suspend production at its plant in Nitra, Slovakia after the cyberattack more than two weeks ago.

Source: Automotive News

The fairly innocuous-looking black box that reads “AW Man” you see above is a mobile charging cabinet that could potentially revolutionize EV charging. Named the Smart Charging Cube, the relatively compact black box was built to temporarily live at job sites where big rigs can stop and top up. The nomenclature printed on the side is product placement for the two companies (AW Automotive and Man Truck & Bus) that banded together for the project.

What Can It Do?

The smart charging cube is a portable, DC, fast-charging solution that supplies up to 400 kilowatts of electricity from its onboard battery pack. When connected to an external Megawatt Charging System (MCS), it can supply up to 1,000 kilowatts. For those of you who are accustomed to charging electric SUVs, that probably sounds like a wild amount of power. However, this amount of electricity is what’s needed to juice up the much beefier batteries found in electric big rigs.

For context, a current Tesla Model 3 Long Range has 77 kilowatt-hours of usable battery capacity, and can be juiced up in approximately 20 minutes at a Tesla Supercharger (which can currently supply up to 250 kW). Meanwhile, Man’s current crop of eTrucks can have anywhere from 160 kWh to 560 kWh of battery capacity.

Electric Big Rigs?

We wouldn’t fault you if this is the first time you’ve even heard of electrification trickling down to big rigs. Tesla released its semi truck—just called the Semi—back in 2017, but nobody really bought into it, and it was largely forgotten. Tesla has only produced and delivered a handful of vehicles, predominantly to PepsiCo and UPS. Reuters reported that PepsiCo ordered 100 trucks to haul food and beverages to retailers, but as of last year, it appears only 36 of the 100 big rigs are in use.

Man Truck & Bus are one of many manufacturers leading the way for all-electric rigs in European markets. Its recent pilot program, intended to evaluate the capabilities of its eTruck, demonstrated the vehicle’s ability to go up to 800 km with a short recharge halfway into the journey. This is a massive deal in Europe, as many regions actually prohibit driving traditional diesel-powered trucks at night. These ultra-quiet eTrucks could potentially open up the existing road network for night driving, increasing efficiency for everyone.

Charging The Smart Charging Cube

Seeing as the cube is just a massive battery, we were curious to learn how it is recharged—and how long that might take. There are two solutions: the first involves plugging into a standard wall outlet, which can recharge the cube in three and a half days. The second involves an available 630 amp connection that would be able to bring the battery back to full power in just four hours.

The keen among you may have noticed that AW Automotive makes the cube itself, which is sold by Man Truck & Bus. The original product—referred to internally as the PowerCube—is also being sold by a number of other companies.

Source: Autoweek

That Might Not Last

Automakers have been absorbing billions in added expenses since U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs took effect in April, sparing American car shoppers from sticker shock. So far. Car prices were supposed to have bolted higher by now, auto executives and analysts predicted. But that has not happened, mirroring some other industries where companies have decided to eat added expenses rather than passing them on to consumers. The average manufacturer’s suggested retail price, or MSRP, on new vehicles in the U.S. rose less than 1% from mid-March to mid-August, according to car-shopping site Edmunds. That restraint from the automakers has carried into this autumn, as car brands are implementing only modest price increases as they roll out their 2026 model-year lineups.

Source: Reuters

General Motors Co. is in preliminary talks to renew its longtime joint venture with China’s SAIC Motor Corp., signaling the Detroit automaker’s budding optimism about its business in the world’s largest auto market after years of decline. The two sides are exploring elements of a potential agreement, including which vehicle models and plants would be involved if a deal can be reached, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks are at an early stage and final terms have not yet been agreed upon, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. The effort to revive GM and SAIC’s nearly 30-year-old partnership marks a change in sentiment from a year ago, when the two companies were cutting jobs as part of a $5 billion restructuring.

Source: Bloomberg via The Detroit News