Going green thanks an to EV incentive
Electric passenger buses, motorcycles and low-speed utility trucks among vehicles eligible for rebates
British Columbia continues to have a leadership role in electric vehicle sales, in part from the partnership between new car dealers and the province, one that has collectively encouraged and supported increasing adoption of EVs among consumers.
As of late last year, there were 30,000 EVs on the road in the province, and I expect to see this number continue to increase over the coming years, as more and more consumers are looking to go green.
Through the CleanBC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program
(formerly CEVforBC), the B.C. New Car Dealers Association has worked with the government to create incentives and competition between dealerships across the province to determine who can reach the highest level of sales of clean energy vehicles, across all brands.
The focal point of the partnership is the CleanBC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program that provides a point of sale purchase incentive on new clean energy vehicles — and is administered by the NCDA and its members.
Much of this increase in purchasing of EVs in the province can be attributed to the great incentive programs we have adopted through CleanBC, which now been widened to include more B.C. businesses that may want to go green.
Last week the government sent out a news release encouraging more businesses to continue the fight to a greener province and encouraged them to go electric with their vehicle fleets, as they announced an additional $2 million in funding through the CleanBC Speciality-Use Vehicle Incentive.
Through the program, government is making cleaner options more affordable, with an aim to increase the use of EVs in how people get around not only personally, but also with their businesses. Eligible specialty-use vehicles include electric passenger buses, airport and port service vehicles, motorcycles, low-speed utility trucks and heavy-duty transport trucks. Rebates range from $1,700 to $50,000 per vehicle and are available for businesses, local and regional governments, and non-profit organizations that are purchasing five or fewer vehicles.
This is a positive move by CleanBC to further incentivize consumers and businesses to take a step in the right direction and work toward a cleaner future. The program supports businesses and fleets in adopting specialty-use electric vehicles. A business that has already taken part in the incentive program is Harbour Seaplanes, which purchased a fully-electric, zero-emission passenger shuttle bus to use to drop off and pick passengers up around Vancouver.
It’s a great step in the right direction and I hope to see more companies follow suit.
Stay safe and be kind, everyone!