In 2018 sales of new electric vehicles worldwide surpassed two million units. Canadians were responsible for 70,000 of these sales and British Columbia is leading the way. Our province has the most charging stations in Canada with more being added all the time.
The Role of Plug In BC
In British Columbia, 93 percent of electricity generated is clean energy. When drivers make the switch to electric vehicles, they aren’t just cutting down on greenhouse gases, they’re also investing in a cleaner and greener way of life.
Plug In BC is a program of the Fraser Basin Council that works to accelerate plug-in electric vehicle use and related charging infrastructure adoption in British Columbia. The program collaborates with government, industry, academic institutions, EV owners, NGOs and utilities to ramp up the adoption of electrification in BC.
Incentives to Switch to Electric Vehicles
Drivers in British Columbia can currently avail of three vehicle incentive programs to reduce the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle.
Clean Energy Vehicle Program
Funded by the Province of BC, the Clean Energy Vehicle Program includes point-of-sale incentives for battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, investments in charging infrastructure and hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, additional support for fleets to adopt CEVs and investments in research, training and outreach.
The CEVforBC point of sale incentive program is managed by the New Car Dealers Association of BC and offers up to $5,000 off the purchase price of a qualifying new battery electric, fuel-cell electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and up to $6,000 for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
Visit CEVforBC.ca for a list of eligible vehicles.
BC SCRAP-IT Program
BC SCRAP-IT is a voluntary early retirement vehicle program that provides incentives to help British Columbians replace higher polluting vehicles with cleaner forms of transportation. The program is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to lower exhaust pollutants across the province. All scrapped vehicles and their components are permanently and properly recycled.
Incentives for up to $6,000 are available for a new, and $3,000 for a used qualifying electric vehicle.
Visit the SCRAP-IT website to learn more and to apply
Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive Program
Administered by Plug In BC with funding provided by the Province of British Columbia, the Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive Program offers rebates between $2,000 and $50,000 depending on vehicle type. A variety of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are eligible for the rebate. Vehicle categories include motorcycle, low-speed vehicles, medium/heavy duty trucks, forklifts, and airport and port vehicles.
Visit the program website for more information.
Here to Help
No matter what stage of business, or what problem you face, Small Business BC offers a range of seminars and one-on-one advisory sessions to suit any business.
