Electric vehicles are not immune to the North American trend favoring SUVs. Quebecers who wish to acquire small electric or hybrid cars, for ecological or economic reasons, often come up against a wall.
To meet growing demand, the car-sharing company Communauto must acquire new vehicles every year. Its managers have long aimed to offer various models to meet customer needs and to prioritize hybrid vehicles, indicates Marco Viviani, its vice-president of strategic development.
However, today, the company “cruelly lacks small vehicles and hybrid vehicles,” he laments. “Around 10% of new vehicles are hybrids, whereas in the past it was almost 100%,” says Mr. Viviani. “They are bigger, because more compact vehicles hardly exist anymore. Before, the majority of what we bought were subcompacts. Then, 30% were medium vehicles and 10% were larger vehicles. Now we are already starting with mid-sized sedans. »
Electric vehicles are marginal within the fleet, being more expensive and more complicated to manage in a car-sharing context, according to Mr. Viviani. Communauto purchased Chevrolet Bolts, but as this model is no longer manufactured, the company must now fall back on small SUVs.
This whole situation is frustrating for Communauto. “Our mission is essentially to reduce the impact of the automobile on our society by using them better. But afterwards, if we harm this objective because we have vehicles that consume more [que nécessaire]we are shooting ourselves in the foot,” laments the vice-president.
Many individuals also have difficulty finding the right shoe for them. Montrealer Loïc Haméon, for example, is looking for a plug-in hybrid car. However, he has only found two models that can suit his budget and which are not large SUVs, namely the Toyota Prius Prime and the Kia Niro. “I don’t want to pollute for nothing. For me, the idea is to get from point A to point B. Consumers who want to do that in an environmentally responsible way, without paying the price of a house, don’t have a lot of options,” says he.
Simon, a resident of the Laurentians, would like to replace his 2016 Nissan Leaf with a new electric car offering more autonomy. He has to travel dozens of kilometers a day, but since he doesn’t have children, he doesn’t see the point in having an SUV, which he considers too expensive. “There are no small vehicles, so I will have to wait for the next generation or buy used,” he said. He preferred not to reveal his full name for fear of displeasing his employer.
The dominance of SUVs
The challenges experienced by these buyers are a reflection of the dominance of SUVs in the market. According to the catalog presented by the Roulons Électrique website, around fifteen SUV models of different sizes and plug-in hybrid crossovers are available in Quebec, while there are only five car models — whether subcompacts, compacts, intermediates or large sedans. There is only one plug-in hybrid van model. On the all-electric side, this same catalog lists 35 SUVs of various sizes, 11 crossovers, 10 cars and no minivans.
The 2023 annual report on electromobility presented by the Association of Electric Vehicles of Quebec also includes evocative data. It presents a ranking of the electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles most present on the roads of the province. Among the 15 vehicles with the highest annual growth, 11 are SUVs or crossovers, while 3 are cars.
Co-president of the Saillant Group, which brings together several dealerships, Charles Saillant estimates that the proportion of large electric vehicles is approximately the same in the electric sector as among gasoline vehicles. He also points out that minivans have almost disappeared. “Manufacturers sell vehicles that customers want,” assures the man who believes that consumers appreciate cargo space, which allows them to transport grocery bags and sports equipment without constraints. Smaller vehicles could come onto the market depending on economic conditions, he believes.
Mr. Saillant also believes that the term SUV is overused. “When this term came out, 15 years ago, we were talking about vehicles capable of seating seven people. Now, there are some that are officially SUVs, but which, in fact, are sedans built high,” he judges.
More energy intensive
President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, Daniel Breton, however, recalls that SUVs and crossovers – even compact and electric – consume more energy than their car version, which “would consume less because the vehicle would be lower, more aerodynamic and less heavy “.
According to him, marketing efforts around SUVs cause us to “confuse our wants and our needs.” “I always tell people, ‘Buy a vehicle based on your needs.’ But it’s easier said than done, because tomorrow morning, someone who wants to buy a small electric car – or even gasoline car – is like looking for a needle in a haystack. , says Mr. Breton.
The latter discerns political and regulatory causes for this rise in SUVs, first and foremost American vehicle emission standards. “For decades, the US government has decided to establish greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets based on wheelbase [la distance entre les roues avant et les roues arrière] and vehicle weight. In other words, the smaller the vehicle, the more it must reduce its emissions. This encouraged car manufacturers to add weight to their vehicles to have fewer constraints,” he explained.
Solutions exist, however, believes Mr. Breton. First, the Canadian government should stop aligning itself with these American standards, he says. Mr. Breton is also in favor of a system penalizing more energy-intensive vehicles, which could include electric vehicles with high weight.