Last week’s provincial budget further solidified the government’s stance on helping BC maintain our leadership position in EV adoption. It was a welcome announcement and one that the New Car Dealers of BC were pleased to see.
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 that 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 $94 million in Go Electric program rebates for the purchases of electric vehicles, charging stations and the commercialization of heavy-duty vehicles.
The leadership role that BC currently occupies regarding EV adoption is one that wouldn’t be possible without the thoughtful, collaborative partnership between the province, the Association and BC’s new car dealers. We continue to applaud the government for their continued support of the program, so we can continue the momentum to reaching the province’s mandated goal of all new light duty vehicles being electric by 2040.
The CleanBC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program provides British Columbians with rebates of $1,500 for shorter range plug-in hybrids and up to $3,000 on the purchase or lease of a new battery electric, longer range plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. The Program has been administered by the New Car Dealers Association of BC 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 incentive when they scrap an older gas vehicles through SCRAP-IT, for a potential point-of-purchase rebate total of up to $14,000.
We all want to be a part of the fight in the climate crisis, and adopting an EV is an every day solution. EV’s remain inaccessible for some, but that shouldn’t be a reason to not look to make the switch – if you’re able. I applaud the continued support from the provincial government, as they prioritize rebate and incentive programs to make EV adoption more attainable.
For more information on the rebates available, please visit: https://goelectricbc.gov.bc.ca/
Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at [email protected]
