For Immediate Release
Victoria, BC – Today’s provincial budget, which includes a significant commitment to further clean energy initiatives, will help ensure BC’s continued success in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, says the New Car Dealers Association of BC (NCDA).
The province recently announced there are now more than 54,000 EVs on BC roads (the highest per capita in North America) and a funding commitment to maintain the CleanBC Go Electric program will help more people and businesses transition to electric vehicles.
The Province continues to invest in the transition to cleaner transportation by making electric cars more affordable, investing in charging stations and shifting to renewable fuels. Budget 2021 includes includes $94 million in Go Electric program rebates for purchases of electric vehicles, charging stations and supports the commercialization of heavy-duty vehicles.
“The leadership role we currently occupy regarding EV adoption is one that wouldn’t be possible without the thoughtful, collaborative partnership between the province and BC’s new car dealers,” said NCDA President and CEO Blair Qualey. “We are pleased to see that the BC government hasn’t taken its foot off the pedal in funding the CleanBC Go Electric program and other important investments that will help continue a positive trend that is good for consumers, good for the economy, and most importantly, good for the environment.”
The CleanBC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program provides British Columbians with rebates of up to $3,000 on the purchase of a new battery electric or hydrogen full cell vehicle, and has been administered by the NCDA since 2010. BC consumers can also receive as much as $5,000 in additional incentives from the Federal iZEV incentive program, and up to $6,000 when also combined with the SCRAP-IT incentive, for a potential point-of-purchase rebate total of up to $14,000.
The NCDA continues to urge government to address the issue of the BC luxury tax on vehicles which has been in place since the 1990’s – and kicks in at a $55,000 purchase price – a cost not uncommon by today’s standards for pickups that are required by many businesses and individuals who live and work in resource communities.
”We had hoped to see the BC Government address the threshold of the luxury tax, especially when the Federal Government appears to have determined that $100,000 may be an appropriate level for luxury goods in their recent 2021 Budget announcement, said Qualey. “We look forward to continued dialogue with the BC Government on this important issue for BC consumers and our sector.”
About the New Car Dealers Association of BC: The NCDA is the provincial industry association that represents close to 400 new car and truck dealers throughout British Columbia. Members of the Association provide over 30,000 family supporting jobs for British Columbians and are responsible for over $16-Billion of retail sales in the province. The Association speaks on behalf of the retail new automotive industry to the public, media, and government, and deals primarily with the legal, environmental, and consumer issues relating to vehicle sales in BC.
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Contact:
Shona Wercholuk
604-805-4821
[email protected]
