Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeElectric VehiclesEV sales surge in Western Canada driven more by government incentives than gas prices, says GM'Our EV sales in Alberta alone are up 50 per cent,' says Jack Uppal, GM Canada’s presidentLast updated 3 hours ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.General Motors Canada president Jack Uppal poses in western attire during the Calgary Stampede. While he began in his current role in February, Uppal has been with GM for more than 26 years. Photo Courtesy GM CanadaGeneral Motors’ electric vehicle sales are surging in Western Canada, as the return of federal incentives pushes consumers away from the pump and towards the outlet.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor“Our EV sales in Alberta alone are up 50 per cent,” Jack Uppal, GM Canada’s president, said in an interview.For the whole of Western Canada, sales are up 30 per cent for the first six months of this year, compared to 2025.According to Uppal, the launch of GM’s new Chevrolet Bolt electric model and the reintroduction of federal government incentives doubled finance applications for EVs at the company’s dealerships across the country.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againHigh gas prices are also leading to more interest in electric models overall, he said.Uppal, who took the wheel at GM Canada in February, has been with the carmaker for 26 years. He’s held various roles, most recently as president for GM in Africa and the Middle East. He also spent several years living and working in Calgary as the brand’s western director of sales.Uppal donned his cowboy hat, boots and ornately-bucked belt for a few days in Alberta to take part in the Calgary Stampede, which the carmaker has sponsored for decades.Following his time out west, Uppal spoke with the Calgary Herald’s Steven Wilhelm about GM’s EV sales and what the introduction of Chinese EVs to the Canadian market means for consumers and manufacturers alike.Wilhelm: How has the crisis at the Strait of Hormuz changed Canadians’ buying behaviour?Uppal: Gas prices, they definitely impact the customer. Affordability is at the top of consumers’ minds . . .What we saw was, from a consumer behaviour perspective, the reintroduction of the consumer EV credit when the federal government (released) its new auto policy. I would say that was a bigger driver of consumer behaviour towards EVs than gas prices.In a three- to four-month heightened level of gas prices, what we’re seeing is . . . individuals that were in market for a product, and perhaps not necessarily for an EV, but kind of on the fence, we’re seeing a lot of those consumers definitely moving over clearly (to) the EV side.Now, if this conflict — unpredictable as it is — continues for an extended period, we could see a slightly stronger shift towards EVs. A line of cars waits at the pumps of a Costco gas station in Calgary on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Brent Calver/PostmediaWilhelm: In terms of interest, have you guys seen more website traffic leaning towards EVs than in prior years, more inquiries at dealerships or EV orders?Uppal: All of the above. Our EV sales in Alberta alone are up 50 per cent, and usually, we work it from a funnel perspective, which is how many inquiries did we get in the store or online? How many people did a test drive? How many people filled out a finance application, and how many bought? So, if 50 per cent more people ended up buying EVs, I can tell you that every number above it, up to the leads, was up in the double digits.In Alberta, in the first month after we launched the (Chevrolet) Bolt, and the government EV program, which applied to the Bolt, came online, we saw almost a three-times increase in website visits, and almost a double increase in the number of finance applications.Wilhelm: Last year, EV sales were falling sharply, and it seems like in the first quarter of this year the momentum has shifted in the other direction. Do you see the latest growth as a structural recovery in EV demand, or mainly a rebound following the return of federal incentives?Uppal: I mean, in 2025, I would say we kind of plateaued out.I’ll kind of maybe share a little bit of a personal opinion on this. What I’ve experienced in markets that have much higher penetration of alternative propulsion, primarily EVs, is that three elements in the market have to work collectively.First, the (manufacturer) has one of the biggest responsibilities, where you need to make sure you’ve got the right choices for the customer. The second thing that’s very critical is that there needs to be some sort of government subsidy to drive adaptation.The third critical element of adaptation is that you also need to continuously develop, modify and accelerate the growth of the infrastructure to charge those vehicles. And then you close that journey by ensuring that the consumer gets an understanding of all three of those pillars and (learns) about EVs and how they work.When all of these components are available, we’ve seen adaptation follow a good curve.It’s a little bit early to say if it’s just a rebound from 2025 to 2026, but what I can say is that there are all three components, from what I know from my experience, that are available for the consumer, which I believe will be a much more stable ride in (adoption) growing. The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt prototype. Photo by chargepozitiveWilhelm: China got permission to sell some of its EVs in the Canadian market. Give me a sense of what GM can learn from Chinese EVs, because as we’ve seen, China has a much larger uptake in EVs overall. Also, describe GM’s position on Chinese EVs being allowed into the Canadian market.Uppal: The Chinese market is where it is, and with my experience in China — for over a decade, they’ve consistently educated the customer, have product availability, had subsidies available for consumers to adapt these EVs and continue to invest in infrastructure.What we found, even in Europe and some other places, is that when those elements come together, the customer who is provided the right choice, you will win. And I believe today we (GM) have the broadest choice.On their coming to Canada, from GM’s perspective as a manufacturer and a market leader, I truly philosophically believe that competition is really, really good. We welcome competition because it allows everybody to get better and it allows you to earn your customers’ business.Now, to do that, we would also want to ensure that everybody’s working off a level playing field, and that’s what we’ve been consistently saying. But I think having competitors in the marketplace at the end of the day makes everybody better, and the customer wins in the end.FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the closed doors of the oilpatch, with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning. Sign up now. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.