February light vehicle sales figures may seem somewhat inconsequential in light of the newly imposed U.S. tariffs, but DesRosiers Automotive Consultants suggest it would be a shame to think this as the numbers were “remarkable.”
Of note, February was the first full month this year without federal or Quebec incentives, leading to an astonishing collapse in BEV sales. “Stunning declines were witnessed by a plethora of BEVs, as sales plummeted across the segment,” said DAC.
As for the overall market, sales as estimated by DAC came in at 122,000 units —down 8.2 per cent from February 2024. So what makes February remarkable?
“While a decline of 8.2 per cent sounds concerning, it should be remembered that February 2024 was easily the strongest February of all time — as finally a plentiful supply of vehicles was available after 30 months of shortages,” said Andrew King, Managing Partner of DAC, in a statement.
“As such, the overall February 2025 total is definitely solid — with the SAAR coming in at a healthy 2.0 million units,” he added.
How the Canadian auto industry progresses likely greatly depends on how the tariff situation unfolds.
