CAA EV Circuit 2026: What Canadian EV Buyers Should Compare

For years, electric-car shopping has revolved around one number: maximum range. CAA’s latest road test suggests Canadian buyers should start paying just as much attention to energy consumption, useful range added during a short stop and the cost of that added range.

The 2026 CAA EV Circuit put 22 electric vehicles on the same 230-kilometre route from Blue Mountain to Vaughan, Ontario, on September 16. Every vehicle finished without charging, including the model with the shortest advertised range. The group used an average of only 40 percent of its battery capacity before completing a standardized 15-minute fast-charging session.

That result does not make range irrelevant. It shows that once an EV can comfortably cover a driver’s routine trip, the ownership experience is increasingly shaped by how efficiently it uses its battery and how productive a charging stop becomes.

Quick Verdict

Canadian EV buyers should compare four numbers: rated range, kWh/100 km, kilometres recovered in 15 minutes and the price of charging where they will actually plug in. Range tells you how far the car may travel from a full battery; the other three say more about everyday energy cost and road-trip convenience.

CAA’s test produced several useful examples:

• the Toyota bZ used 11.43 kWh/100 km, less than half the Lucid Gravity’s 28.91 kWh/100 km;
• the Lucid Gravity nevertheless added the most displayed range in 15 minutes, at 178 km;
• the Tesla Model Y was among the five most efficient vehicles but added a below-average 97 km during the charging session;
• the Nissan LEAF combined top-five efficiency with 126 km added in 15 minutes;
• public fast-charging cost varied substantially, even though the cars used the same charging network.

The buyer takeaway is not that one of these vehicles “won.” A compact EV, luxury three-row SUV and electric pickup serve different jobs. The lesson is that battery size alone is a poor measure of EV quality. A large battery can deliver long range, but it also adds mass, costs more to refill and may take more energy to move.

Efficiency Is the EV Equivalent of Fuel Economy

Gasoline buyers understand litres per 100 kilometres: lower is better. The closest EV equivalent is kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres, written as kWh/100 km.

An EV that uses 12 kWh/100 km needs roughly 24 kWh to travel 200 kilometres under the same conditions. A vehicle consuming 24 kWh/100 km needs twice as much energy for that distance. Electricity prices vary, but the more efficient vehicle generally costs less to charge and can turn a given battery capacity into more range.

CAA measured a wide spread from 11.43 to 28.91 kWh/100 km. Vehicle size explains much of it. The five highest-consumption results included the Lucid Gravity, GMC Hummer EV SUV, Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T and Cadillac Lyriq. Four are large SUVs or pickups; the Lyriq is a substantial luxury crossover.

That does not make them bad vehicles. A pickup carrying a large battery, generous cabin and heavy-duty hardware cannot be expected to match a smaller, lower car. It does mean shoppers should treat the battery like a fuel tank: a bigger tank is useful, but efficiency decides how hard that stored energy has to work.

For Canadians who charge at home, kWh/100 km also makes operating-cost estimates easier. Multiply the vehicle’s consumption by the local electricity price, then account for charging losses. The result is more useful than comparing battery capacity without considering how quickly each vehicle drains it.

Fifteen-Minute Range Added Is a Better Road-Trip Number

Maximum DC charging power attracts big headlines, but the peak number does not describe an entire charging stop. An EV may briefly reach its advertised maximum and then taper sharply, while another holds a lower rate for longer.

CAA’s test used a more understandable measure: displayed kilometres added in 15 minutes.

The 22 vehicles added an average of 110 km in 15 minutes, and almost two-thirds added at least 100 km. The range was broad: 58 km to 178 km.

This metric rewards both charging speed and efficiency. A vehicle can accept plenty of power, but if it consumes energy quickly, each kilowatt-hour adds fewer kilometres. Conversely, an efficient EV may turn a modest amount of electricity into useful road distance.

The Lucid Gravity demonstrates the first point. It posted the highest consumption on the drive, yet its high-rate charging still produced the test’s biggest 15-minute range gain. The Nissan LEAF illustrates the second: it was not the field’s largest or most powerful vehicle, but low energy use helped it turn a short stop into 126 displayed kilometres.

Displayed range is not laboratory-grade energy measurement. Each manufacturer estimates remaining distance differently, and the figure can react to recent driving, weather and climate-control use. Still, “How far can I go after a coffee stop?” is a practical question that buyers understand immediately.

Why One Charging Session Is Not a Permanent Ranking

CAA’s route and charging session are valuable because the vehicles shared the same event and general conditions. The results should not be read as a universal fastest-charging leaderboard.

DC charging performance changes with:

• the battery’s starting state of charge;
• cell temperature and whether the car preconditioned the pack;
• charger capability and power sharing at the site;
• the vehicle’s charging curve and current software;
• weather, cabin heating or cooling loads;
• the accuracy of the displayed-range estimate.

The Lucid Air’s 58-kilometre result is a good reminder. The Air is known for high efficiency and strong charging specifications, so one low session should prompt questions about the test conditions rather than a conclusion that every Air charges slowly.

Buyers should use CAA’s data as a real-world snapshot, then check repeatable charging-curve tests for the exact battery and trim they are considering. Two versions of the same model can use different pack sizes, motors, wheels or charging hardware.

Public Fast-Charging Price Can Erase Some Efficiency Savings

CAA South Central Ontario reported an average price of $13.45 for the 15-minute fast-charging session. Its normalized cost figures for 100 kilometres of displayed range added varied substantially by vehicle.

The Tesla Model 3 recorded the lowest published figure at $7.28 per 100 km of displayed range added, followed by the Model Y at $8.23, Nissan LEAF at $10.13, Kia EV4 at $10.25 and Hyundai IONIQ 5 at $10.68. At the high end were the Hummer EV SUV at $24.39, Silverado EV at $19.05, Rivian R1T at $17.85, Cybertruck at $15.61 and Volkswagen ID. Buzz at $15.48.

Those are not universal Canadian charging prices. The event used Tesla fast chargers, where Tesla vehicles received preferred pricing, and CAA described the test as a premium road-trip charging scenario. The Lucid Gravity’s session was free, so CAA did not publish a comparable cost result for it.

The wider point still stands: where an EV charges can matter almost as much as how efficiently it drives. Home electricity is usually much cheaper than premium public DC charging. Apartment residents and frequent highway travellers may therefore face a different ownership calculation from drivers who plug in overnight in a garage.

Before buying, estimate three separate costs:

1. routine home or workplace charging;
2. local public charging used as a backup;
3. premium highway fast charging used on longer trips.

A buyer who does 90 percent of charging at home should not base the whole decision on one expensive road-trip session. A driver without reliable home charging should not assume the lowest residential electricity rate represents the real monthly cost.

Summer Results Do Not Predict a Canadian Winter

CAA found the September vehicles used about 40 percent less energy on average than the different group tested during its February 2025 EV Winter Test. The September group also added about 15 percent more displayed range during the charging session.

CAA correctly cautions that the two events used different vehicles and conditions, so the percentages are not a controlled seasonal comparison. They still reinforce a basic Canadian buying rule: cold weather affects both driving efficiency and charging performance.

A useful winter EV needs more than a large rated range. Canadian shoppers should look for a heat pump, effective battery preconditioning, a clear route-planning system and a charging curve that remains useful after cold-weather driving. Wheel and tire choices matter too; large winter tires add cost and can reduce efficiency.

The safest planning approach is to leave a winter buffer rather than treating the official range as a promise. MotorLinks’ EV winter tire guide covers the traction and efficiency trade-offs in more detail.

A Better EV Shopping Checklist

CAA’s results point toward a more complete way to compare electric vehicles.

Start with daily fit. The vehicle needs enough winter-adjusted range for normal driving with a comfortable reserve. Paying for hundreds of kilometres that are rarely used can mean carrying a larger, heavier battery every day.

Compare kWh/100 km. Lower consumption usually means lower energy cost, more range from a smaller pack and more useful kilometres gained during charging.

Look beyond peak charging power. Find a 10-to-80-percent time or charging curve, then consider kilometres added in 15 or 20 minutes. That better reflects a normal road-trip break.

Price the charging you will actually use. Home access changes the economics dramatically. Condo and apartment buyers should confirm installation options or nearby dependable public charging before ordering the car.

Check the exact trim. Bigger wheels, all-wheel drive and performance tires can reduce range and efficiency. A headline figure may belong to a rear-wheel-drive version that is not the one on the dealer lot.

Plan for winter. Heat-pump availability, battery preconditioning and reliable fast-charger access can matter more than a small difference in official summer range.

For shoppers balancing sticker price with rebates and charging access, our Canadian EV incentive and affordable-EV guide provides the current program context.

Bottom Line

The most reassuring result from the 2026 CAA EV Circuit is simple: all 22 EVs finished a mixed 230-kilometre Ontario route without stopping, and the average vehicle still had most of its battery remaining.

The more useful result is how differently they accomplished it. Energy use varied by more than two and a half times. A 15-minute stop added anywhere from 58 to 178 displayed kilometres. Fast-charging cost per 100 kilometres also varied widely.

That is why range should be the start of an EV comparison, not the finish. Once two vehicles can cover the required trip, the better purchase may be the one that uses fewer kilowatt-hours, adds more practical distance during a short stop and fits the buyer’s real charging routine—not simply the one carrying the biggest battery.

FAQ

What was the most efficient EV in the 2026 CAA EV Circuit?

The Toyota bZ recorded the lowest consumption at 11.43 kWh/100 km. The Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Kia EV4 and Nissan LEAF completed the top five.

Which EV added the most range in CAA’s 15-minute charging test?

The Lucid Gravity added 178 kilometres of displayed range. The Hyundai IONIQ 5 added 136 km, and the Mercedes-Benz CLA with EQ Technology added 135 km.

Does the CAA test prove which EV charges fastest?

No. It is a useful same-event snapshot, but one session is affected by battery temperature, starting charge, charger output, software and the vehicle’s displayed-range calculation. Buyers should also consult repeatable charging-curve tests for the exact trim.

Is public fast charging cheaper than gasoline in Canada?

Sometimes, but not always. CAA’s premium 15-minute fast-charging sessions averaged $13.45, with major variation in normalized cost per 100 km of displayed range added. Home and workplace charging are typically the more important cost for owners who have access to them.

Sources

• CAA National: 2026 CAA EV Circuit results
• CAA: Complete 2026 EV Circuit vehicle findings
• CAA South Central Ontario: charging-cost results and methodology
• CAA EV Buyer’s Guide: electric vehicles available in Canada

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