I read a lot about the $5,000 federal EV rebate, but I don’t see much about the provincial electric vehicle rebates. Does every province have one? Which province offers the most money back? Do any of them cover used EVs? – Mark, Toronto
Of the eight provinces and territories that offer their own electric vehicle rebates, the Northwest Territories offers the most.
There, you can get up to $7,500 back on your new electric car – so, combined with $5,000 from Ottawa, you could save $12,500 off the price of a new EV there.
While EV buyers in every province can claim the federal zero-emissions vehicle rebate, British Columbia, Yukon, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland also offer their own rebates.
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nunavut don’t have their own rebates. Ontario had a $14,000 provincial rebate until 2018, when it was axed after Doug Ford became Premier. In fact, Saskatchewan charges EV drivers $150 a year.
Are PHEVs covered too?
In some provinces, you can also get the full rebate for longer-range plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). For the federal rebate and for most provinces, PHEVs must have a range of more than 50 kilometres using the battery alone. Traditional hybrids that don’t plug in don’t qualify for the federal rebate or any of the provincial rebates.
The federal rebate and most provincial rebates are applied at the point of sale. That means they get taken off the price of the car at the dealership, although, depending on the province, you may have to apply and be approved before you buy. In Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories, you apply for the rebate after you buy the car.
In most provinces, you can get the rebate when you lease a vehicle but most require you to lease it for at least 48 months to get the full amount. Five provinces – Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland – offer incentives on used EVs, but only if they’re purchased through a dealer.
So, which provinces give the most generous rebates? Looking at the maximum rebate in each province, from highest to lowest, we have NWT ($7,500), Quebec ($7,000), PEI ($5,750), New Brunswick and Yukon ($5,000), British Columbia ($4,000), Nova Scotia ($3,000) and Newfoundland ($2,500).
With so many different rules, it can get confusing. So here’s a quick look at the rebates available across Canada:
Federal rebate
Ottawa offers a rebate of up to $5,000 on purchases and leases of at least 48 months on new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCEVs) and PHEVs that can travel more than 50 kilometres on electricity alone. PHEVs with a lower electric-only range receive a $2,500 rebate.
Shorter leases get smaller rebates – you’ll get 75 per cent of the rebate on a three-year lease, 50 per cent on a two-year lease and 25 per cent on a one-year lease.
To qualify for the federal rebate, a passenger car has to have a base model with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of less than $55,000 and the trim you buy can’t cost more than $65,000, before added options and dealer extras. For station wagons, pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans, that increases to $60,000 for the base model and $70,000 for higher trims.
British Columbia
There’s a provincial rebate of up to $4,000 on new BEVs, FCEVs and PHEVs with an electric range of more than 85 kilometres – and up to $2,000 on PHEVs with less than that range.
But how much you get depends on your income. To get the maximum amount, you would have to make less than $80,000 a year. If you make between $80,001 and $90,000 a year, you would get half the rebate. If you make between $90,001 and $100,000 a year, you’d get a quarter of it. If you make more than $100,000, you’d get no rebate. There are no rebates for used EVs.
Quebec
The provincial rebate is $7,000 on a new BEV or FCEV and up to $5,000 on a new PHEV, depending on the capacity of the battery. For example, the Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV qualifies for the full $5,000 rebate but the Prius Prime PHEV only qualifies for $2,500. There is also a $3,500 rebate for used BEVs.
New Brunswick
There’s a $5,000 rebate on a new BEV – or a new PHEV with more than 50 kilometres of electric-only range. New PHEVs with less range than that and used BEVs get a $2,500 rebate. Used PHEVs get a $1,000 rebate.
Nova Scotia
The rebate is $3,000 on a new BEV – or a PHEV with more than 50 kilometres in electric range. Shorter-range PHEVs get a $2,000 rebate. For used BEVs and PHEVs, the rebate ranges from $2,000 to $1,000.
PEI
Here, there’s a universal rebate for both new and used BEVs and PHEVs. It’s $5,750 for BEVs and $3,250 for PHEVs. Of those amounts, $750 is intended for the purchase and installation of a Level 2 charger or to offset charging fees for those unable to install a charger at home.
Newfoundland
In Newfoundland, there’s a $2,500 rebate on new and used BEVs and a $1,500 rebate on new and used PHEVs.
Yukon
There’s a $5,000 rebate on new BEVs, FCEVs and PHEVs with an electric range of 50 kilometres or more. It’s $3,000 for PHEVs with an electric range of less than that.
Northwest Territories
With a $7,500 rebate on new BEVs and PHEVs, this is the most generous rebate program in Canada. But it doesn’t apply to used vehicles.
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