A man from Ontario expressed his shock at needing to spend nearly $15,000 to repair the electrical system and replace the battery in his 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.

Darren Smith from Mississauga, Ontario said, "I was in complete shock, I felt stunned."

Smith added that the odometer in his car had recorded 97,000 kilometers when it stopped working, after nearly $5,000 worth of work, he was told he also needed a new engine and a new hybrid battery.

Smith said, "If I have to think about buying a new car, I won’t get a hybrid again, and I won’t get an electric car, I will buy a gasoline car, I learned my lesson."

The federal government wants all new cars sold in Canada to be electric by 2035, but a recent study by AutoTrader found that not all Canadians are ready to make the switch as they have concerns about charging stations, cold weather, and battery life.

According to AutoTrader, in 2022, at least 68 percent of Canadians were interested in buying an electric car. In 2023, that number dropped to 56 percent. In 2024, the figure fell to 46 percent.

Part of the reason is the cost of electric cars, which can be sold at a rate 15 to 20 percent higher than gasoline-powered cars.

Parris Akoury, vice president of marketing intelligence at AutoTrader, said, "Consumers are a bit hesitant, and the costs of vehicle purchases are at the top of their priorities for obvious reasons."

The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association (CVMA) represents Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, and feels that the lack of charging stations across Canada is hurting electric vehicle sales.

Brian Kingston, president and CEO of CVMA, said, "We are witnessing a slowdown in interest among Canadian consumers largely due to charging infrastructure and the price gap between gasoline vehicles and electric vehicles."

Kingston explained that there are over a million kilometers of road in Canada which will require tens of thousands of charging stations if Canadians want to feel safe when purchasing an electric vehicle.

In an AutoTrader survey, it was found that 62 percent of those interested in buying an electric car might consider purchasing a hybrid.

CTV News Toronto also reached out to Hyundai Canada regarding Smith's vehicle, and a spokesperson for the company said, "Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, as it allowed us to investigate this case for the first time and provide support to Mr. Smith."

"Hyundai Auto Canada has fully reviewed the technical details of the situation, and it has been resolved amicably with Mr. Smith."

Smith told CTV News that Hyundai will now cover the costs of the electrical repairs and the hybrid battery replacement, which was great news for him.

Smith added, "We were able to come to a decision so that’s great, “this is really incredible.”

Currently, about 11 percent of new car sales are electric vehicles, and the industry says prices should continue to decline.

Seventy-five percent of those surveyed feel that it is unlikely Canada will reach its goal of selling only electric cars by 2035.