Ontario increasing electric vehicle rebates
The Ontario government is increasing the financial incentives surrounding the purchase of electric vehicles in a bid to boost sales in the province.
"We are working hard to continue our support for green technology because the benefits of doing this are clear," Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said in a statement.
"Providing better incentives for electric vehicles will help consumers and businesses make the transition to more sustainable vehicles, and keep Ontario at the forefront of the clean, green economy."
A new Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (EVIP) will see the incentive range for new battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle purchases increased to $6,000 to $10,000, with as much as $4,000 in additional rebates for vehicles with larger batteries and seating for five or more passengers.
The current EVIP has purchase rebates of $5,000 to $8,500.
An additional $3,000 incentive is also available for vehicles with larger battery capacities, and another $1,000 for EVs with five seats or more.
The program also covers leases, with the rebate calculated as a percentage of the MSRP based on the length of the lease.
The province will continue to provide a charging station rebate of as much as 50 per cent of the cost to a maximum of $1,000, along with green licence plates that allow lone-occupant EVs to travel in eligible High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on major highways.
The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association (CVMA) lauded the increased EV incentives, calling Ontario "a leader in electric vehicle market development."
"With this announcement, Ontario is taking another important step to providing support for consumer adoption of ... electric vehicles," CVMA president Mark Nantais said in a statement.
"Electric vehicles are still an expensive and evolving technology, but one which, over time, will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector as more of these vehicles enter the on-road fleet."
Residents, businesses and municipal governments are all eligible for the rebates.
The government estimates that there are roughly 5,800 EVs in the province.
Dennis DesRosiers of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants there were 906 EVs sold in Ontario 2014.
Final 2015 sales numbers have not yet been compiled, though he said they were tracking at 1,100 for the year.