Canadian EV Sales Climb in Q3 2026 — GM Up 118%, Hyundai 15%, Toyota 30%, Nissan Leaf Surges

Canada's latest EV sales numbers are starting to come in, and several automakers posted significant year-over-year gains during the third quarter of 2026. The results paint a picture of a Canadian EV market that continues to expand even as U.S. sales for some of the same brands have stalled or declined.

GM Canada leads with 118% ZEV growth

General Motors recorded the largest increase among major automakers, with Canadian zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales up 118% compared with Q3 2025. The growth was led by GM's expanding Cadillac EV portfolio, along with the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Bolt EV and Silverado EV.

This contrasts sharply with GM's U.S. performance, where EV deliveries fell 61.7% year-over-year in the same quarter. GM Canada has not released model-level Canadian figures, but the company said Cadillac's growing EV lineup — including the Optiq, Lyriq, and Celestiq — was a primary driver of the surge.

Hyundai: Kona Electric and IONIQ 5 up 15%

Hyundai Canada also finished the quarter ahead of last year, with combined sales of the Kona Electric and IONIQ 5 increasing 15%. The IONIQ 5 remains Hyundai's volume leader in the BEV segment, while the Kona Electric continues to attract buyers in the compact crossover category.

Hyundai's Canadian EV momentum has been consistent through 2026, with the company frequently citing strong order books and limited inventory as constraints rather than demand.

Toyota: bZ and bZ Woodland hit record quarters

Toyota and Lexus combined to sell 10,114 ZEVs during Q3, a Toyota Canada record — up more than 30% year-over-year. Both the bZ and bZ Woodland battery-electric models recorded their best quarters yet, although Toyota did not provide individual Canadian sales figures for either model.

It's important to note that Toyota's 10,114 ZEV figure includes both battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), rather than BEVs alone. Including conventional hybrids, Toyota Canada sold 40,019 electrified vehicles during the quarter, accounting for 65.7% of its 70,008 total sales. Overall Toyota Canada sales increased 8.3% year-over-year.

Nissan Leaf surges nearly 5,000%

Nissan reported a massive increase for the Leaf, selling 1,987 units during the quarter compared with just 39 a year earlier — a nearly 5,000% increase, though the comparison comes from an unusually small base when the new Leaf was only just being introduced.

Leaf sales have been strong across 2026, reaching 4,712 units through September. The Ariya posted a smaller quarterly gain, with sales rising 12.5% from 337 to 379 units. However, year-to-date Ariya sales are down about 48% from the same period last year (1,039 vs 2,017).

Nissan Group's total Canadian sales declined 17% to 22,496 vehicles during Q3.

Stellantis mixed: Fiat 500e up 44%, Wagoneer S down 87%

Fiat 500e sales climbed 44%, from 399 units in Q3 2025 to 574 this year. Through September, Fiat 500e sales reached 2,333 units, up 26%.

The Jeep Wagoneer S went the other way, falling from 207 sales a year ago to just 27 during Q3 2026 — an 87% decline.

What this means for Canadian buyers

The Q3 results show the Canadian EV market continuing to diversify beyond Tesla. GM's Cadillac brand, Hyundai's Kona/IONIQ lineup, Toyota's bZ twins, and even the aging Nissan Leaf are finding buyers. For consumers, this means more choice, more inventory at dealers, and increasing competitive pressure on pricing — especially as the federal EV Affordability Program (up to $5,000 for BEVs) remains in place.

GM's dramatic Canada-U.S. divergence also highlights how different incentive structures, dealer engagement, and model mixes can produce completely different outcomes in the two markets. Canadian buyers benefiting from stable federal incentives and a crossover-heavy market that favors vehicles like the Equinox EV.

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