How big the pull back was for gas consumption

Canadians are not consuming as much gasoline as they did a year ago but it hasn’t been too far of a tumble.

DesRosiers Automotive Consultants released first-quarter numbers for gasoline consumption, a tool used to gauge the strength of vehicle usage and, in turn, aftermarket demand.

The group reported a slight pullback of 3.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same time in 2024. However, the consultancy noted, first quarter numbers for this year are still above pre-pandemic levels as well as from 2020-2022.

But there is some explanation for the drop-off, particularly two factors. One, internal combustion engines are increasingly more fuel efficient than in past years. Two, that there are more zero-emission vehicles on the roads today than this time last year — and far more than there were pre-pandemic. At the end of 2024, ZEVs made up nearly 20 per cent of new vehicle registrations. In While there was a sales drop off in Q1 2025, ZEVs still made up nearly 10 per cent of new vehicle registrations.

“ZEVs still continued to grow their share of the overall light vehicle fleet despite the collapse in their sales for the first quarter of 2025,” noted Andrew King, managing partner at DesRosiers. “In addition, the slight decline in gas consumption is to be expected in line with a slowing economy as trade-related issues start to impact employment levels. Indeed, with 82 per cent of Canadians using a light vehicle to get to work, change in employment is one of the key variables we will be monitoring this summer.”

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