With the price of a barrel of oil which has risen spectacularly since the start of the year, a majority of Quebecers (61%) intend to turn to electric cars when they next purchase a vehicle.
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This is revealed by a Maru poll, released last week. The commitment of the CAQ government, which sells new gasoline vehicles in the province from 2035, has probably helped many to make progress in their thinking. Conversely, a majority of Albertans will likely buy a gas-powered vehicle when their current car no longer works.
Moreover, Canadians are divided when it comes to explaining the reasons for the rise in the price of a barrel of oil.
A majority of Canadians (27%) consider this situation to be the main factor in this increase, but the answer to this question differs from province to province. In Quebec, nearly one respondent out of three (31%) believes that this increase is linked to a desire for enrichment by the oil companies. In Alberta, probably the province most critical of the federal carbon tax, it is this measure that would have led to this price spike, according to a majority of respondents (29%).
According to the International Energy Agency, Russia is the third largest oil producer, behind the United States and Saudi Arabia. Last week, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom banned imports of petroleum and petroleum products from Russia.
Conducted on February 18 and 20, 2022, the survey was conducted among a random selection of 1,555 Canadian adults who are online Maru Voice Canada panelists.
Several automakers are turning to hydrogen technology, including Hyundai and Toyota.
While hydrogen vehicles are still more expensive than electric vehicles, the main challenge of the new technology remains refueling stations. In Quebec, there is currently only one station located in Quebec City.
“Filling up with hydrogen is extremely expensive. There are no real gains [monétaire] to switch from a gasoline vehicle to a hydrogen vehicle. For electric vehicles, we play between an eighth and a tenth of the current cost of gasoline, “explains Daniel Breton, president of Electric Mobility Canada.
According to Jesse Caron, automotive expert with CAA Quebec, there is a future for hydrogen vehicles.
“In the production of electric vehicle batteries, there are many rare materials that come into play, such as the extraction of lithium for example […] There are significant transportation costs associated with that,” says Mr. Caron.
For this reason, hydrogen could find its place on the Quebec market.