63% of Canadians Want Chinese EVs on the Market — but Half Can't Name a Single Brand

Canadians are ready to shop Chinese cars — at least in principle. A new Vehicle Buyer Opinion Study (VBOS) from the Clarify Group and Universus Media Group surveyed 2,007 Canadians who bought or leased a new vehicle in the last five years, and found 63% support the government's policy allowing Chinese brands into the Canadian market. More consequentially for automakers, 38% said they would consider a Chinese brand as their next vehicle.

It's about the price tag

The survey reinforces that Canadians are looking to Chinese automakers for a bargain. Fully 84% of respondents described their future car purchase as a mere "means of transportation," and 72% of those interested in Chinese brands cited "more affordable vehicles" as the reason. The import data backs that up: according to Global Affairs Canada, roughly half of the 15,603 Chinese electric vehicles imported under the reduced-tariff quota so far have had a "landed" cost under $35,000.

• 15,603 Chinese EVs imported as of the end of August under the tariff-rate quota that lowered duties from 100% to 6.1%
• 24,500 vehicles could have been imported over the same period — the full quota was not used
• About half of imported vehicles landed at under $35,000

The awareness gap

Here's the paradox in the data: while interest is broad, knowledge is thin. Nearly half of those surveyed — 48% — could not name a single Chinese nameplate. Among respondents who could, only BYD had significant brand awareness. Canadians also perceived Chinese-built vehicles as on-par with or slightly below industry average, with concerns concentrated in "high-tech" and "environmental friendliness," alongside reliability and safety.

What this means for the Canadian market

The combination — high openness, low brand knowledge, price-first motivation — suggests the Chinese EV experiment in Canada is still wide open. Buyers are willing, but no manufacturer has yet converted that willingness into recognition. For Canadian drivers, the practical effect of the 6.1% tariff window is a growing pool of sub-$35,000 electric vehicles that didn't exist on these shores two years ago, even as nearly 9,000 quota spots went unused in the first window.

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