Feds outline E-vehicle incentives

Zero-emission the target for all new cars in Canada by 2040

The Canadian government has released details regarding the incentives it plans to roll out to buyers of zero-emissions vehicles across the country.

Worth either $2,500 or $5,000, depending on the vehicle’s range, the incentives will be drawn from a pool of $300 million over three years, Transport Canada said, and apply to a list of new vehicles purchased or leased on or after May 1.

The news release also listed new zero-emissions vehicle sales targets for the country of “10 per cent of new light-duty vehicle sales” by 2025, 30 per cent by 2030, and 100 per cent by 2040.

“To be eligible for incentives, a vehicle must have a base-model manufacturer’s suggested retail price of less than $45,000 for passenger vehicles with six or fewer seats, and less than $55,000 for vehicles with seven or more seats,” the ministry said.

“For eligible vehicles with six or fewer seats, higher-priced versions (trims) are eligible as long as the final manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $55,000 or less,” and for vehicles with seven or more seats, trims with a price up to $60,000 will qualify.

Vehicles can still qualify even if “delivery, freight and other fees, such as vehicle colour and add-on accessories” push the sale price above those limits.

That added window makes eligible many more vehicles than critics first assumed when the $45,000-MSRP threshold was first announced, including Driving ’s own David Booth, who noted that price point was too low to do much good.

The rebate will be $5,000 for “battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell, or longer range plug-in hybrid vehicles” with a range of 50 kilometres or more per single charge, and $2,500 for “shorter range plug-in hybrid vehicles.”

The list of eligible vehicles currently includes 27 models and trims, including:

Audi A3 e-tron

■

Chevrolet Bolt and Volt ■ Chrysler Pacifica plug-in ■ hybrid

Ford Fusion Energi and ■

Focus Electric

Honda Clarity plug-in

■ hybrid

Hyundai Ioniq, Kona and ■

Sonata EVs and hybrids

Kia Niro, Optima and Soul ■

EVs and hybrids

Mini Cooper Countryman ■ plug-in hybrid

Mitsubishi Outlander

■

PHEV

Nissan Leaf Plus

■

Toyota Prius Prime ■ VW e-Golf ■

Smart Fortwo. ■

“We are working with Canadians across the country to support practical and affordable solutions to fight climate change,” said Catherine McKenna, minister of the environment and climate change.

“The transportation sector is key to Canada’s economy — but it also accounts for a quarter of our emissions. Making sure Canadians have access to options to get where they need to go in a cleaner, cheaper, faster way will protect our environment and grow our economy.”

The new federal program will also fund continued expansion of electric vehicle charging stations. The program was rolled out as part of Budget 2019, and is subject to Parliamentary approval. Driving.ca