Ontario Making Electric Vehicles More Affordable

Ontario is putting its new Climate Change Strategy into action by introducing a new, modernized Electric Vehicle Incentive Program that will help reduce greenhouse gas pollution and make it easier for Ontarians to switch to an electric vehicle (EV).

Premier Kathleen Wynne made the announcement today at WaterPark Place in Toronto. “By making it easier for people to switch to an electric vehicle, we are taking an important step in our fight against climate change,” Wynne said. Helping Ontarians shift to low- or zero-emissions vehicles is vital to achieving Ontario’s greenhouse gas pollution reduction target of 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.

The province’s first Electric Vehicle Incentive Program was launched in 2010. Through this program, incentives were provided for the purchase of 4,800 electric vehicles and about 1,100 home chargers. The new, modernized program will:

• Increase the current incentive range for EVs from $5,000 – $8,500 to $6,000 – $10,000
• Provide an opportunity to receive an additional $3,000 incentive for vehicles with larger battery capacities
• Provide an additional $1,000 incentive for vehicles with five or more seats
• Continue to provide incentives linked to battery capacity of more than 5 kilowatt-hours
• Cap incentives for vehicles priced between $75,000 and $150,000 at $3,000
• Provide up to $1,000 for the purchase and installation of chargers for home and business use.

Today’s initiative builds on the December 2015 announcement that an additional $20 million from Ontario’s Green Investment Fund will go toward creating a network of fast-charging public EV charging stations to support city-to-city and in-city EV travel across the province. Ontario’s Green Investment Fund is a $325-million down payment on the province’s cap and trade program to strengthen the economy, create jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  There are currently 5800 electric vehicles in Ontario.