Cardaps is a free Canadian vehicle intelligence platform. We aggregate data from Transport Canada, NRCan, NHTSA, SAAQ, and real dealer listings to provide safety recall checks, VIN decoding, fuel economy ratings, price estimations, and vehicle history reports - all in one place.

How do I check if my car has a recall in Canada?

Use our free Recall Check tool. Enter your VIN or select your make, model, and year. Cardaps searches both Transport Canada and NHTSA databases and shows all open recalls with severity ratings, affected components, and dealer repair instructions.

Is Cardaps free to use?

Yes - all core tools are 100% free: recall checks, VIN decoding, fuel economy ratings, price estimates, EV charging maps, and car loan calculators. Vehicle history reports require credits, available as single purchases or through dealer subscriptions.

How accurate are Cardaps car valuations?

Our AI scoring engine analyzes real Canadian dealer listings daily using 50+ data points including make, model, year, mileage, province, trim, condition, and current market demand. Valuations reflect actual Canadian asking prices, not US or wholesale book values.

Does Cardaps work for Quebec vehicles?

Absolutely. Cardaps integrates SAAQ data for Quebec, including inspection requirements, winter tire regulations, and provincial incentives. The entire platform is bilingual (English and French) and compliant with Bill 96.

How is Cardaps different from CARFAX or AutoTrader?

Cardaps combines free tools that competitors charge for: recall checks, VIN decoding, and fuel economy data from official Canadian government sources (NRCan, Transport Canada). We also provide AI-powered valuations, EV incentive calculators, and dealer profitability intelligence - features no single competitor offers together.

Does Cardaps share or sell my personal data?

No. Cardaps does not sell your personal data to advertisers, brokers, or third parties. We collect only what is needed to provide our free tools: VINs you decode, recall searches, and price estimates. Vehicle history reports involve sharing the VIN with our data providers (CARFAX, AutoCheck) for that specific lookup, but no personal information is sent. We are transparent about data sources and do not maintain hidden user profiles.

Can I use Cardaps as a dealer?

Yes. Cardaps offers a dedicated dealer platform with vehicle scoring, profit calculators, market intelligence, and inventory acquisition tools. Plans range from FREE (25 lookups/month, 0 credits) to ENTERPRISE ($999/mo with 30 credits, API access, and 5 user seats). Dealers can sign up at cardaps.ca/register?dealer=true. The first 25 vehicle lookups are free with no credit card required.

Is Cardaps available outside Canada?

Cardaps is built specifically for the Canadian market. Vehicle valuations use Canadian dealer listings (not US data), pricing is in CAD, fuel economy uses Canadian L/100km ratings (not US MPG), and recalls integrate Transport Canada plus NHTSA. International users can decode VINs and check NHTSA recalls, but valuations, fuel ratings, and dealer directory features are Canada-only. We currently cover all 13 provinces and territories.

What languages does Cardaps support?

Cardaps is fully bilingual: English and French. All tools, FAQ answers, vehicle data, and customer support are available in both languages. The French version is fully compliant with Quebec Bill 96 requirements and uses Canadian French (not European French). Language can be switched anywhere on the platform with the EN/FR toggle.

How accurate is Cardaps vehicle data?

Cardaps aggregates data from authoritative Canadian sources updated continuously. VIN decoding uses NHTSA vPIC data (98%+ accuracy on year/make/model/trim). Recalls come directly from Transport Canada and NHTSA databases. Fuel economy uses NRCan official ratings. Vehicle valuations have an average error rate of $1,900 across 200 benchmark tests, calibrated against real Canadian dealer asking prices (not wholesale or US book values).

How often is Cardaps data updated?

Different data types refresh at different cadences: Vehicle listings update daily (50,000+ active Canadian listings refreshed each night). Safety recalls sync every 24 hours from Transport Canada and NHTSA. Fuel economy ratings refresh from NRCan when new model years are released. Vehicle history reports are pulled in real-time when requested. Dealer information from Google Maps refreshes monthly. All data carries source attribution and last-updated timestamps.

Fuel & EVMarch 11, 20269 min read

EV vs Gas — Real Cost Comparison for Canadian Drivers in 2026

Cardaps Research Team

Electric vs gas vehicle cost comparison Canada 2026 — fuel, maintenance, insurance, total ownership — Province-by-province, EV savings vary dramatically based on electricity prices

Quick Answer

Over 5 years at 20,000 km/year, EVs save $8,000–$12,000 in Quebec (cheapest electricity) and $4,000–$7,000 in provinces without incentives. Breakdown: $11K–$15K fuel savings + $2K–$5K maintenance savings - $1K–$2K higher insurance - $3K–$5K faster depreciation. Province matters: Quebec $0.07/kWh vs Alberta $0.20/kWh.

Part of our complete guide:

Fuel Economy Canada — Complete Guide →

Fuel Costs — Where EVs Win Big

Hyundai Kona Electric (16.7 kWh/100km) vs Kona Gas (7.8 L/100km), 20,000 km/year: Quebec: EV $234/yr vs Gas $2,574/yr — save $2,340/yr ($11,700 over 5 years). Electricity at $0.07/kWh. Ontario: EV $434/yr vs Gas $2,496/yr — save $2,062/yr. At $0.13/kWh. BC: EV $334/yr vs Gas $2,730/yr — save $2,396/yr. At $0.10/kWh. Alberta (worst case): EV $668/yr vs Gas $2,262/yr — save $1,594/yr. At $0.20/kWh. Key insight: home off-peak charging makes EVs dramatically cheaper everywhere. Public fast-charging ($0.30–$0.50/kWh) narrows the gap significantly.

Maintenance, Insurance & Depreciation

Maintenance (EVs win): No oil changes, transmission fluid, timing belt, exhaust. Fewer brakes (regen). Annual: EV $500–$800, Gas $1,200–$1,800. 5-year savings: $2,000–$5,000. Insurance (EVs lose): 10–15% more expensive — higher replacement cost, expensive battery repairs. Extra $200–$400/year = $1,000–$2,000 over 5 years. Depreciation (EVs lose): Faster tech improvements make older EVs less desirable. 35–45% loss in 3 years vs 25–35% for gas. Extra $3,000–$5,000. Net 5-year savings: Fuel ($8K–$15K) + Maintenance ($2K–$5K) - Insurance ($1K–$2K) - Depreciation ($3K–$5K) = $4,000–$12,000 depending on province.

Try It Free:

Compare Any EV vs Gas — Free

Also in this series:

EV Incentives Canada 2026 NRCan Ratings

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes over 5 years — $4,000 (Alberta) to $12,000 (Quebec) net savings from fuel + maintenance, minus higher insurance + depreciation.

Quebec — cheapest electricity ($0.07/kWh), biggest provincial incentive ($4K new, $3.5K used), and strong charging infrastructure.

Yes — 10–15% more. Higher vehicle values and expensive battery repairs. The extra $200–$400/year is offset by fuel + maintenance savings.

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Fuel Economy Canada — Complete Guide

EV Incentives Canada 2026

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