Kia West wins top EV sales award
The New Car Dealers Association of B.C. presented Kia West of Coquitlam its Clean Energy Vehicle for B.C. Green Star Award for selling more battery electric vehicles than any other dealership in B.C.'s Lower Mainland in 2015.
The dealership sold 38 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) last year.
Electric vehicle (EV) sales have been steadily increasing across the country, jumping by 32 per cent from 2014 to 2015, according to Canadian auto research firm FleetCarma.
One of the reasons for the increase is due to the incentive programs available to consumers including the CEVforBC program, which is funded by the province and administered by the New Car Dealers Association. The program offers up to $5,000 to B.C. residents who purchase or lease an eligible new battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. (For the list of eligible vehicles, visit cevforbc.ca.)
In addition, consumers can pair this incentive with the BC SCRAPIT program, which allows consumers purchasing a qualifying electric vehicle to scrap their older model to receive a $3,250 rebate — $3,000 from BC SCRAP-IT and a $250 pointof-sale discount from a participating dealership. Of the 38 BEVs sold in 2015 at Kia West, one qualified for a BC SCRAP-IT incentive.
Saying Kia West was honoured to win the award, general sales manager Moe Mehji cited the CEVforBC program as making a difference in EV sales.
“Customers continually relay how significant the financial incentive is when considering purchasing a clean energy vehicle,” Mehji noted.