Gas or electric in Quebec: the true cost of ownership in 2026

Total cost of ownership adds up everything the vehicle costs you for as long as you keep it: • acquisition: the price, plus GST and QST, minus government rebates and any trade-in credit; • energy: gasoline, or electricity at home and at public chargers; • maintenance and repairs; • insurance; • registration; • minus resale value at the end. The energy gap is the easiest item to estimate with public data. Insurance and resale value depend heavily on the model and your profile: you need quotes for your own case. The more you drive and the longer you keep the vehicle, the more the energy gap weighs in the result.

Price as of the week of October 5, 2026. The Régie de l'énergie publishes each week the average pump price for regular gasoline in every region. For the week of October 5, 2026, Quebec's weighted average was 195.3¢ per litre (bulletin dated October 9, 2026). The gap between regions is large. That week, the average ranged from 181.8¢ in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean to 211.7¢ in Nord-du-Québec, and it was 201.7¢ in Montreal. This price changes every week. For your calculation, use what you actually pay or your region's reading on the Régie de l'énergie website.

Under Hydro-Québec Rate D in effect April 1, 2026, customers pay a system access charge of 46.154¢ per day, 7.065¢ per kWh for the first 40 kWh per day and 11.142¢ per kWh for the rest of the energy, before taxes. The system access charge is paid anyway: only the energy added by charging counts in the comparison. According to Hydro-Québec, vehicle charging usually occurs at the second-tier price, about 12.81¢ per kWh with taxes (11.142¢ plus GST and QST) at the rate in effect April 1, 2026. Over a year, the Government of Quebec estimates $300 to $400 more on the electricity bill for a fully electric vehicle that travels 20,000 km, if 85% of charging is done at home. The cost varies with the model and its battery. Hydro-Québec recommends avoiding charging during winter peak periods, 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. According to the Government of Quebec, charging can be scheduled outside those periods from some vehicles' dashboards or with a connected charger. For the cost of a charger and the $600 Écorecharge rebate, read our home EV charger guide.

On Circuit électrique stations, the per-kWh rate ranges from about $0.38 to $0.62 depending on the station type and charging power (rate grid consulted October 16, 2026; according to the Rates page, all rates include taxes). An hourly rate may apply when charging slows, for example once the battery exceeds 90%. Rates are indexed at the start of each year. The Government of Quebec estimates a fast charge between $15 and $30. On a public Level 2 charger, the Government of Quebec indicates a cost of $0 to $5 per hour, depending on the charger owner. What that means over a year, according to Government of Quebec estimates for 20,000 km: • with a home charger, a budget of $30 to $50 a year can cover occasional public top-ups; • without a home charger, about $650 a year if 85% of charging is on public Level 2 and 15% on DC fast chargers. In other words, being able to charge at home changes the math a lot.

Fictional example, to illustrate the calculation. Replace the consumption figures with the ratings for the models you care about from Natural Resources Canada's Fuel Consumption Ratings Search Tool. Assumptions: • 20,000 km a year; • gas car: 7.5 L/100 km (value chosen for the example); • electric car: 20.5 kWh/100 km. This matches the combined average rating for battery-electric vehicles in Natural Resources Canada's 2026 Fuel Consumption Guide, 2.3 litres of gasoline equivalent per 100 km, converted with the Guide's factor (1 litre of gasoline = 8.9 kWh); • gasoline at $1.953/L (Quebec average, week of October 5, 2026); • electricity at about $0.1281/kWh with taxes (Rate D second tier, 11.142¢ plus GST and QST). Calculation: • Gasoline: 20,000 × 7.5 ÷ 100 = 1,500 L × $1.953 = $2,929.50 a year • Electricity, home charging only: 20,000 × 20.5 ÷ 100 = 4,100 kWh × $0.1281 = $525.21 a year • Energy gap: about $2,404 a year If 15% of that energy instead comes from Circuit électrique public stations ($0.38 to $0.62/kWh, taxes included), the electricity cost rises to about $680 to $828 a year. The gap remains about $2,100 to $2,250 a year in this example. Note: the annual cost shown in Natural Resources Canada's Fuel Consumption Guide is calculated with Canada-wide prices of $1.50/L for regular gasoline and $0.18/kWh for electricity. It therefore does not reflect Quebec prices. Ratings also come from standardized lab tests: your real consumption will vary with driving style, temperature and road type. This example covers energy only. Purchase price, rebates, maintenance, insurance and resale value can completely change the result.

Roulez vert program (Government of Quebec), for a vehicle registered in 2026: • $2,000 for a new fully electric vehicle; • $1,000 for a new plug-in hybrid with a battery of 15 kWh or more, or $500 if it is 8 to under 15 kWh; • $1,000 for an eligible used fully electric vehicle. As a general rule, the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) must be under $65,000, for new and used vehicles alike, under the program framework; see the framework for exceptions. Only the registration date counts. The program ends December 31, 2026: the amount planned for a vehicle registered in 2027 is $0. Electric Vehicle Affordability Program (EVAP, Transport Canada), for a new vehicle purchased or leased on or after February 16, 2026: • up to $5,000 for a battery-electric or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, and up to $2,500 for a plug-in hybrid, in 2026; • amounts then drop: $4,000 and $2,000 in 2027, according to the schedule published by Transport Canada; • the amount depends on the date the dealer submits the eligibility assessment, not the purchase date; • the vehicle must be made in Canada or in a country with a free-trade agreement with Canada, and the final transaction value must be at most $50,000, except for a vehicle made in Canada; • the claim is made by a dealer or authorized seller registered in the program; consumers cannot apply themselves; • an individual can receive one incentive during the program's five years, which is to run until March 31, 2031 or until funds run out. As of October 1, 2026, $1.92 billion remained of a $2.275 billion envelope. In both cases, taxes are calculated on the price before the rebate: the rebate reduces what you pay or finance, but not GST or QST. For details and a worked example, read our article Roulez vert 2026: what's left before it ends. If you finance the purchase, estimate the payment with our auto loan calculator.

For a passenger vehicle of 3,000 kg or less, the base registration cost in 2026 is the same for a gas or electric car: $217.41 according to the SAAQ (fees of $140, insurance contribution, tax and charges included). A few differences apply: • Temporary reduction: a reduction of up to $50 applies to renewals scheduled from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027. It covers gas, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, but excludes fully electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. It applies once per eligible vehicle registered to an individual. • Large engine: a gas vehicle with an engine of 3.95 litres or more (1995 model year or later) pays additional annual fees, for example $42.75 for 4.0 litres in 2026, plus acquisition fees of $61 to $244 at registration. • Luxury vehicle: electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are exempt from additional luxury-vehicle fees on the portion of their value between $40,000 and $75,000. The green plate, mandatory for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, also gives free access to several Quebec ferries, to reserved lanes where signage allows and, in some municipalities, to free parking.

Maintenance. According to Hydro-Québec, a fully electric vehicle needs no oil changes, and several parts of a gas vehicle simply do not exist on an electric vehicle (timing belt, exhaust, oil filters, spark plugs, and so on). Regenerative braking wears discs and pads less, and brakes can last two to three times longer. We found no official Quebec source that puts a dollar figure on the annual maintenance gap: ask for each manufacturer's maintenance schedule for the models you compare and estimate the cost. Battery. According to CAA-Quebec, most EV batteries are warranted for 8 years or 160,000 km. According to an expert quoted by CAA-Quebec, capacity falls by an average of 2% to 3% a year, and CAA-Quebec considers a 10% to 20% loss after 8 years normal (page updated August 21, 2025). For most manufacturers, the warranty applies when remaining capacity drops below about 70% to 75%. Read the exact warranty terms for the model before you buy. Winter. In a CAA test in very cold weather, the vehicles tested travelled 14% to 39% fewer kilometres than the advertised range. Cold also raises gas-vehicle consumption: temperature is among the factors that make consumption vary, according to Natural Resources Canada. If you drive a lot in winter, raise the kWh/100 km figure a little in the comparator.

Insurance and depreciation can weigh as much as energy in total cost, but we found no official source that establishes a reliable average gap between gas and electric vehicles in Quebec. Rather than invent a percentage, we suggest: • requesting an insurance quote for each model compared, with the same driver profile; • estimating resale value from used listings of the same model, year and mileage; • for an electric vehicle, accounting for battery health and remaining warranty at resale. Then enter those amounts in the comparator, which calculates total cost and the year when electric becomes cheaper, if it does.