Matthew Klippenstein

Vancouver, B.C.

Matthew Klippenstein is a professional engineer who has tracked the Canadian plug-in electric vehicle market for the past six years through his open-access spreadsheet, accessible at CanadaEVsales.com, and his monthly Zero Emission Newsletter (subscription link).

A veteran of Canada's fuel cell and renewable energy consulting sectors, he helps administer British Columbia’s EV infrastructure programs by day. A contributor to GreenTechMedia.com, he also co-authors the Fuel Cell Industry Review.

Matthew regularly provides sector commentary for television and radio, in English and French. His consultancy Electron Communications focuses on cleantech clients, and he does not have business relationships with, or hold direct investments in, any companies mentioned in his articles.

12 Articles

From toilet paper to Elon Musk

A writer’s mental map of the milestones COVID-19 crossed in the past several weeks.

Opinion

Coronavirus in Canada

By Matthew Klippenstein | Opinion | April 14th 2020

Reflections on a pandemic: Inconvenience, anxiety and grief during COVID-19

We’ll all be chaperoned by inconvenience, anxiety and grief until the crisis is done. But someday the recovery will come.

Opinion

Coronavirus in Canada

By Matthew Klippenstein | Opinion | March 31st 2020

Zen And The Art Of Climate Success

IPCC contributor Mark Jaccard’s new book gives an authoritative solution to make carbon pollution Lilliputian

Race Against Climate Change

By Matthew Klippenstein | Features, Politics | February 28th 2020

Windmills, Wikimedia, solar power, wind turbines, wind energy

Why 100 per cent renewable energy production still isn’t enough

For Canada to be a clean energy exporter, renewables must generate far more than 100 per cent of domestic consumption — 100 per cent isn’t the ceiling; it’s the floor

By Matthew Klippenstein | Analysis | February 3rd 2020

With aikido, not boxing, we can stop a blue wave

To engage Albertans on climate ⁠— and disengage them from Jason Kenney’s scapegoating antics ⁠— let's use their energy expertise and enthusiasm as momentum for a shift to clean energy.

Opinion

By Matthew Klippenstein | Opinion, Energy, Politics | October 4th 2019

Greta Thunberg is winning hearts and minds — and some old men hate it

While we loudly condemn the Maxime Berniers of the world, compassion may be the most appropriate response to its Christopher Caldwells.

Opinion

By Matthew Klippenstein | Opinion, Politics | September 3rd 2019

Electric cars now over 1% of Vancouver vehicles

This one per cent statistic describes all passenger vehicles driving on Metro Vancouver roads. Usually, Zero Emission Vehicle stats are presented as a percentage of new car sales. For example, ZEVs represented more than 6 per cent of new passenger vehicle sales in B.C. in the first quarter of 2019.

Race Against Climate Change

By Matthew Klippenstein | Analysis | May 28th 2019

Canadian ZEV update: fuel cells gain a foothold

The Nissan Leaf led the pack with 247 sales in January, narrowly beating the Chevy Bolt, with the Hyundai Kona, Tesla Model 3 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV rounding out the top 5.

Race Against Climate Change

By Matthew Klippenstein | Analysis, Business | March 18th 2019

An electric BMW being charged up. Photo by John Cameron on unsplash

Soaring ZEVs in 2018, sinking Tesla in 2019?

Zero Emission Vehicle sales doubled in Canada last year. Matthew Klippenstein shares his predictions for 2019.

Opinion

By Matthew Klippenstein | Opinion | January 25th 2019

Three climate justice metamorphoses and a lesson from Gandhi

To understand our climate movement’s evolution, read Nietzsche. To understand our Achilles’ heel, study Gandhi.

Opinion

By Matthew Klippenstein | Opinion | December 4th 2018