Electric Vehicles in Canada: Available Rebates

During the next few years, the automotive industry will tend a lot towards the electrification of the vehicle fleets. We are in 2019 now, but so much has happened in the last 10 years, that we can predict what will occur next. Electric vehicles are inevitable. These are the future, not only for Canada but for the entire world. That's why the Federal and provincial governments in our country have started introducing financing programs to accelerate and speed up the adoption of EV vehicles alternatives. In this article, I will point out the available rebates in Canada:

Canada's Federal iZEV Program

Due to the impact of the adoption of Zero Emission vehicles, Canadians can now receive up to 5,000CAD rebate when leasing or buying a brand new electric car. The way it works is straight at the dealership: they use the rebate as a downpayment that is deposited from the government itself.  You can read the full details on the Transport Canada website.

There are some tax advantages too, in case you acquire the vehicle for business. The capital cost deduction will allow a 100% for a maximum of 55,000CAD plus sales tax.

Eligible Vehicles

As specified on the page for the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles(iZEV) Program, you need to lease/purchase:

  • a vehicle with six seats or fewer, where the base model (trim) Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is less than $45,000;
    • higher priced versions (trims) of these vehicles, up to a maximum Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $55,000, will also be eligible for purchase incentives;

Or

  • a vehicle with seven seats or greater, where the base model Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is less than $55,000;
    • higher priced versions (trims) of these vehicles, up to a maximum Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $60,000, will also be eligible for purchase incentives;

Specific Models

Based on these requirements, a "vehicle make & model table" has been built with each specifically available rebate. On average, Full Electric vehicles go up to 5,000CAD and hybrid ones up to $2,500. Rebates are breakdown by lease term also. Visit Transport Canada to have access to the full table:

Electric Vehicles in Canada: Available Rebates

  • 2018 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron - up to $2,500
  • 2019 Chevrolet Bolt - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Ford Fusion Energi - up to $2,500
  • 2018 Ford Focus Electric - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Hyundai Ioniq - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Hyundai Ioniq PHEV - up to $2,500
  • 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Hyundai Sonata PHEV - up to $2,500
  • 2019 Kia Niro PHEV - up to $2,500
  • 2019 Kia Niro EV - up to $5,000
  • 2020 Kia Optima PHEV - up to $2,500
  • 2020 Kia Soul EV - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV - up to $2,500
  • 2019 Nissan Leaf S - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Standard Range Plus - up to $5,000
  • 2019 Toyota Prius Prime Base PHEV - up to $2,500
  • 2019 Volkswagen e-Golf Comfortline - up to $5,000
  • 2019 smart EQ fortwo - up to $5,000

Provincial Rebates

Provincial rebates are also available, but not widespread across the country. Tesla has a pretty nice description in its National Incentives page:

British Columbia (read more)

  • $5,000 rebate for vehicles with a base price under $77,000
  • Up to $750 rebate on Wall Connector and installation
  • Carpool lane access (with official EV decal)

Québec (read more)

  • Up to $8,000 rebate for vehicles with a base price under $75,000
  • Up to $3,000 rebate for vehicles with a base price between $75,000 and $125,000
  • Up to $600 rebate on Wall Connector and installation
  • Reserved lane access (with official EV decal)
  • Sign-up for free toll bridges and ferry access

Essentially, you could get a Model 3 in Québec 13,000CAD off or in B.C. with a 10,000CAD discount.

About the author

Jorge Diaz is a passionate car lover, winter driver & Software Engineer. For the last 10 years, he has built Online Solutions used by more than 5,000 companies across the globe. He founded LeaseCosts in 2016 with the purpose of simplifying and helping Canadians to better understand the complex market of car leasing in Canada. You can connect with him at Leantrepreneurship.com.

Jorge is also the author of Car Leasing Done Right: A Canadian Guide for Understanding & Optimizing Vehicle Leasing Costs, released on Nov. 5th, 2021. It is available at Amazon.ca