Canada On The Green Road

When it comes to being green on the roads, Canadians seems to be ahead of Americans. My friend Michael Graham Richard form treehugger wrote an article yesterday about this. In Canada 7 of the top 10 selling cars are small/compact cars the top 3 being the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla and the Mazda 3.

Michael noted that according to data from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants: “In 2008, 51.5 per cent of all light vehicles sold in Canada were entry-level — i.e. small — cars.” But what are the reasons of such a difference between Canadians and our southern neighbors. Some may say it’s a financial issue. Americans maybe have more money then Canadians and for this reason they seem to buy bigger cars. Another financial factor could be the fact that gas is more taxed in Canada.

Gas prices have shown to be a big factor in choosing a vehicle. We can take a look at Europe for a good example of this.

This is why many treehuggers think that a revenue-neutral carbon tax is the best way to make things change, and as long as you reduce other taxes (f.ex. the income tax) by a similar amount, you are not adding to people’s tax burden, and you are not trying to pick winners (like those corn ethanol subsidies from a few years ago that will be almost impossible to repeal, or the preference for hydrogen fuel cells that made CARB axe battery electric car programs like the GM EV1).

The Best-Selling Small Cars in Canada
From the Globe and Mail, all dollar amounts in Canadian dollars:

1. Honda Civic
2008 sales: 72,463
Base price: $16,9902. Toyota Corolla
2008 sales: 57,736
Base price: $14,835

3. Mazda3
2008 Sales: 50,317
Base price (sedan): $15,995

4. Toyota Yaris
2008 sales: 40,602
Base price (four-door sedan): $13,999

5. Chevrolet Cobalt
2008 sales: 33,754
Base price (sedan): $15,325

6. Hyundai Accent
2008 sales: 29,751
Base price (sedan): $14,295

7. Pontiac G5
2008 sales: 26,436
Base price (sedan): $15,745

8. Ford Focus
2008 sales: 23,654
Base price (sedan): $17,099

9. 2009 Toyota Matrix
2008 sales: 23,549
Base price: $15,975

10. Nissan Versa
2008 sales: 21,845
Base price (sedan): $12,498

Via Treehugger

Photo: Flickr, CC