COVID-19 pandemic has pummelled Canada’s automobile industry but it’s the lack of supply that’s helping to short-circuit electric vehicle adoption across the country.Electric vehicle sales plunged along with gasoline-fuelled models in the second quarter of the year, when dealerships joined widespread lockdowns to prevent the virus’s spread.
As the economy reopens, consumers are starting to return to auto showrooms — but finding an electric vehicle continues to be a problem, especially outside Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario.A series of roadblocks are contributing to the shortfall, including battery shortages and manufacturers prioritizing shipments to China and Europe rather than North America.