Victoria, British Columbia — On June 18th, the Government of British Columbia announced the decision to change the program criteria for electric vehicle (EVs) rebates, thereby making it so that approximately 75 percent of previously eligible vehicles no longer qualify for the province’s economic incentive.
The B.C. government specifically lowered the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for vehicles qualifying for the CleanBC Go Electric rebate program to $50,000 from $55,000. The timeline for the program has also been changed to a 30-day transition period, which the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association is concerned “will leave consumers who may have already purchased a vehicle and are awaiting delivery completely in a lurch.”
The provincial government has also changed how the rebate program defines SUVs and, as a result, has reduced compensation and access to the most popular vehicle class for B.C. drivers.
“We are astonished and extremely dissapointed by the announced changes to B.C.’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) rebate program,” said the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association in a press statement.
“Not only was this change decided in great haste and without any consultation with the industry, but it contradicts the province’s own ZEV ambitions. Excluding 75 percent of vehicles that had previously qualified for the purchase incentives when price is one of the major hurdles for consumers to adopt ZEVs, makes absolutely no sense. We strongly urge the B.C. government to reconsider this change and to immediately engage in consultation with the entire industry on how best to proceed” Tim Reuss, President & CEO, Canadian Automobile Dealers Association further commented.
Additionally, Brian Kingston, President and CEO, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association commented that “British Columbia has the most aggressive ZEV targets in North America at 90 percent ZEV sales by 2030. Today’s announcement to further weaken the ZEV purchase incentive all but guarantees the government’s mandated targets will not be met with serious negative consequences for consumers, industry, and the provincial economy.”
To see more information about the EV rebate changes, click here.
