Guide to EV Incentives
Buying an electric vehicle in Canada has never been easier. With an increase in model variety, range and the expansion of the used EV market, there are a multitude of choices available to consumers.
The Government of Canada and the Province is British Columbia have a number of excellent incentive programs to help speed up adoption of electric vehicle technology in the Canadian market. There are multiple incentive streams, which at times can be a little confusing. So, to make your EV buying purchase even easier, we decided to provide a comprehensive summary of the incentives available.
Please note that this information is subject to change, all of the information summarized below is correct the time of writing this post.
Clean Energy Vehicles for BC Incentive
The province of British Columbia has renewed funding for the Clean Energy Vehicle (CEVforBC) Point of Sale Incentive Program. The new program includes point-of-sale incentives for battery electric and some Plug in Hybrid Vehicles.
The program is managed by the New Car Dealers Association of BC, and offers up to $3,000 off the purchase price of a qualifying new battery electric, and $1,500 off the purchase of qualifying plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Effective June 22, 2019, vehicles with a MSRP of over $55,000 shall not be considered eligible for the incentive rebate.
More information can be found online at the following link.
Government of Canada Zero Emission Vehicle Program
The Government of Canada recently announced a Federal Electric Vehicle Purchase Incentive. Effective May 1, 2019, Transport Canada will provide an incentive for consumers who buy or lease an eligible ZEV.
This incentive is also administered by your new car dealer, so there is no additional application needed.
There are two levels of incentive:
Battery-electric and longer range plug-in hybrid vehicles are eligible for an incentive of $5,000
Shorter range plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are eligible for an incentive of $2,500.
Vehicles with a MSRP of over $55,000 shall not be considered eligible for the incentive rebate.
More information can be found online at the following link.
Specialty Use Vehicle Incentive
Administered by Plug in BC with funding provided by the Province of British Columbia, the Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive Program offers rebates between $2,000 and $50,000 depending on vehicle type. A variety of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are eligible for the rebate. Vehicle categories include motorcycle, low-speed vehicles, medium/heavy duty trucks, forklifts, and airport and port vehicles.
More information can be found online at the following link.
BC Scrap It Program
The Scrap It program is a voluntary early retirement vehicle program that provides incentives to help British Columbians replace higher polluting vehicles with cleaner forms of transportation.
The program offers up to $6,000 trade in incentive for qualifying new battery electrics, and $3,000 trade in incentive for qualifying used battery electric vehicles.
There are only a certain number of Scrap Its available in the market during the course of a calendar year. In 2020, there were 1,750 new EV incentives, and 250 used EV incentives available to BC residents.
“Scrap It tickets” are dealt out or assigned to individual dealerships in BC, and are connected / associated with the EV vehicles available. To get more information about this program and to see if your old vehicle qualifies as a Scrap It vehicle, check out the program details at the following link.
BC Hydro Charging Incentives
BC Hydro is working with the Government of B.C. and FortisBC to offer provincial rebates for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers to get homes and workplaces across B.C. ready for EVs. The EV charger rebate program came into effect on September 26, 2019. The program is funded by the Government of B.C
Multi-Unit Residential Buildings will be eligible for up to 50% of the costs of new eligible chargers. Maximum incentive of $2,000 per charger and a maximum of $14,000 per building. A strata corporation with multiple buildings would be eligible for a maximum of $14,000 per building;
Workplaces will be eligible for up to 50% of the costs of new eligible chargers. Maximum incentive of $2,000 per charger and a maximum of $14,000 per site, maximum of 4 sites per customer.
Single-family homes will be eligible for up to 50% of the cost of a new level 2 charger, with incentives for a limited time matched by BC Hydro. Potential savings of up to $700. More information can be found online at the following link.
Our team has also written some in depth blog posts about EV Charging and different options you may want to consider when you are purchasing an EV or installing charging. Check out the following subject links for more in depth information on:
Electric Vehicles and Business Fleets
BCUC Resale of Electricity and EV Charging
Networked vs Non Networked EV Chargers
If you are interested in installing EV charging infrastructure in in your Multi Unit Residential Building, workplace or single family home, call Cielo Electric for a fully comprehensive site assessment.
Ph: 778-862-4109 or visit www.cieloelectric.ca
