Image: Barry Penner

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Hybrid vehicles vs. EV mandates

Chilliwack energy analyst says B.C. drivers increasingly prefer hybrids over fully electric cars

Mar 11, 2026 | 9:49 AM

CHILLIWACK — A Chilliwack-based energy analyst says new data shows that British Columbia consumers are increasingly opting for hybrid vehicles over fully electric vehicles, citing sales figures from StatsCan.

Former Chilliwack MLA Barry Penner, now with Energy Futures Institute, says customers are voting with their feet in favour of hybrids over EV, even as the B.C. government moves forward with plans to revise — but retain — its own EV sales mandate to pressure manufacturers to sell fewer non-electric vehicles.

Penner cites Statistics Canada data that shows hybrid vehicles are steadily gaining market share in BC, rising from 9.5 per cent of new vehicle registrations in 2023 to 16.1 per cent in 2024. During the same period, the share of fully-electric vehicles declined from 17.3% in 2023 to 15.8% in 2024.

Just released industry registration data from S&P Global Mobility shows hybrid vehicles accounted for 20.9 per cent of new vehicle registrations in B.C. in 2025, while what the government calls zero emission vehicles (ZEVs – comprised of fully-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles combined) dropped to 18.3 per cent from 22.8 per cent the year before.

“Consumers are voting with their wallets,” said Barry Penner, KC, Chair of the Energy Futures Institute. “People want practical and affordable options to reduce fuel consumption, and regular hybrids can do that without range anxiety or the need for expensive charging infrastructure.”

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Image: Energy Futures Institute / Vehicle Powertrain Share in B.C. (2023-2025)

The Ministry of Energy previously stated that “it is vital for B.C. and Canada to be aligned” with “one clear, harmonized sales target for the country.” However, Penner says the B.C. government is contradicting this statement and the shift in consumer preferences. It has signalled it will retain the mandated target of 26 per cent ZEV sales this year, along with its own complex credit-trading system while making adjustments to ZEV sales targets and how credits can be earned.

Penner says automakers accumulate regulatory credits tied to the sale of electric vehicles or other qualifying actions, such as offering financing incentives or investing in charging infrastructure. Credits can be banked or traded between automakers to meet compliance obligations. Failure to meet requirements can result in a penalty of $20,000 per vehicle.

“Instead of stepping aside and leaving it to the federal government to set vehicle emission standards, the B.C. Government seems determined to have its own bureaucratic system,” said Penner. “Simply put, it’s another interprovincial trade barrier. BC’s approach discourages the purchase of vehicles — even hybrids — made in Canada, but favours imported EVs since there are no family-friendly electric vehicles made in Canada.”

The federal government recently announced it will pursue stronger national vehicle tailpipe emission standards rather than maintaining a rigid electric-vehicle sales mandate.

“If the B.C. Government truly believes Canada should have one clear national framework for vehicle emissions, the logical step is to repeal the provincial ZEV mandate and stop spending money reinventing the regulatory wheel,” Penner concluded.