Ontario Pulls the Plug on EV Rebates

Fulfilling a campaign promise, new Ontario Premier Doug Ford has ended incentives for electrified and fuel cell-powered vehicles and charging stations.

The province, which began offering rebates for EVs in 2010, updated the program earlier this year and added fuel cell cars to the list of eligible models. Buyers could receive as much as C$14,000 ($10,600), depending on a vehicle’s all-electric driving range and seating capacity.

Ford, who is part of Canada’s Conservative party, took office late last month and quickly ended Ontario’s cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions. The EV rebate was funded by the cap-and-trade program. Canceling the programs will help lower gasoline prices by 10 cents per liter and could ultimately save motorists a combined C$1.9 billion ($1.4 billion) per year, according to Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation.

About 1,000 EVs were delivered in Ontario in January-March. Sales accelerated recently with the addition of Tesla’s new Model 3 midsize sedan being added to the list of eligible vehicles. The changes earlier this year eliminated incentives for vehicles priced above C$75,000 ($57,000), which include Tesla’s electric Model X crossover and Model S sedan.

British Columbia and Quebec are the only Canadian provinces remaining that offer rebates for electrified vehicles, according to Toronto’s Globe and Mail.