Electric vehicle sales on the rise in Saskatchewan

Supply for electric vehicles is starting to outpace demand across Saskatchewan.

EV purchases will come in three waves, according to Larry Heggs with the Saskatchewan Automobile Dealers Association. And the first wave is almost tapped out.

"I think we've started to reach the end of that market, although I don't think we're saturated. The second camp is when it becomes economically feasible for the consumer." Heggs said.

Ken Bryant is an electric vehicle owner. Crossing the entire Canadian prairie, Winnipeg to Edmonton in his Tesla. He is a staunch supporter of EVs, and claims he has saved money by owning one. However, he understands the hesitancy.

"The downside might be sitting and waiting at a charger like this, but I have two kids under twelve, so we have a snack, we eat, and we just keep going," said Bryant.

The Canadian government has a goal, of ensuring all new vehicle sales are electric models by 2035. But the association believes this goal is unrealistic.

"I hate to be a naysayer, but I don't think the goal of 2035 is feasible," Heggs said.

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"The Canadian Automobile Association along with Saskatchewan has said that to the federal government," he explained. "If they left it to manufacturers and the rest of the industry we could get there."

The EV market, however, is still growing with a steady uptick in EV registration, according to Michaela Solomon with Saskatchewan Government Insurance.

"From 2018 onwards we saw steady growth in electric vehicles registered in the province," Solomon stated

Year to date, there are just shy of 1,500 electric vehicles registered in Saskatchewan. With 286 registered so far this year, compared with last year's total of 471