BC – The New Car Dealers Association (NCDA) of BC is pleased to see the Province of British Columbia’s commitment to expand the clean energy vehicle point of sale purchase incentives and infrastructure, announced as part of its Climate Leadership Plan.
The provincial incentive programs and BC’s New Car Dealers have helped the province lead the way with the highest clean energy vehicle usage per capita in Canada. The Climate Leadership Plan includes expanded support for the Clean Energy Vehicle (CEVforBC™) program, and the BC SCRAP-IT program, as well as support for infrastructure, education and economic development initiatives.
“The NCDA applauds the Government of British Columbia’s balanced approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building on effective initiatives such as its clean energy vehicle incentive programs,” says Blair Qualey, President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC.
“Programs like CEVforBC™ and BC SCRAP-IT have helped British Columbia become a national leader in clean energy vehicle usage, and all of us in the industry, including dealers, vehicle manufacturers and other key partners, look forward to working with the Province over the coming years to further maximize the effectiveness of these smart investments.”
The CEVforBC incentive program allows consumers to save up to $5,000 towards the purchase or lease of a new battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and up to $6,000 for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. For qualifying electric vehicles, the incentive can also be combined with the SCRAP-IT incentive program for an additional refund of up to $3,250 off the sticker price if a purchaser scraps an older vehicle.
The provincial government’s expanded support will help more British Columbians participate in the program when making climate conscious decisions. Luxury vehicles priced higher than $77,000 are not eligible for incentive programs.
This past June, the SCRAP-IT program scrapped its 40,000 vehicle, which equals over 1 million tons of CO2 reduction. Since the program began in 1996, each scrapped vehicle has helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to lower exhaust pollutants across the province.
Supporting alternative and more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies was a key component in BC’s On The Move 10-year transportation plan to improve the province’s transportation network. In 2014, a survey was conducted with over 12,500 BC respondents indicating their concern for the impacts transportation has on the environment.