One of the interesting developments in the new light vehicle sales market, observed at the provincial level, is Quebec. According to a recent DesRosiers Automotive Consultants update, the province experienced a significant sales surge in the last quarter of 2024.
That came thanks to consumers responding to incentive changes around zero-emission vehicles. But in January, DAC said some of the “payback” for the ZEV rush materialized in the form of a 1.8% sales decrease, when compared to the same month a year earlier. This made Quebec the only province to see a sales decline in January 2025.
“Quebec will be the province to watch in the first quarter of 2025 as the market settles after an artificially strong Q4,” said Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC, in a statement. “Of course, these provincial shifts may fall somewhat to the wayside depending on the developing tariff situation coming out of the U.S.”
As for the other provinces, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba experienced noteworthy sales success with new light vehicle sales up an estimated 18.2%, 11.1%, and 10.4%, respectively. And Canada overall enjoyed a 3.1% increase in new light vehicle sales in January, rising to an estimated 118,000 units sold.
