Press Release: BC GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE $17 MILLION IN NEW VEHICLE INCENTIVES
BC GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE $17 MILLION IN
NEW VEHICLE INCENTIVES
For Immediate Release
November 5, 2011
Vancouver, BC – The New Car Dealers Association of BC (NCDABC) is pleased to support the recent provincial announcement of the $17 million in new vehicle incentive programs being made available for BC consumers through four projects. The programs include point-of-sale incentives for qualifying new clean energy vehicles, rebates for home charging stations, infrastructure funding for public charging stations, and new funds for the successful BC SCRAP-IT® Program.
Beginning December 1st, consumers will receive up to $5,000 off the before-tax price when they purchase or lease a qualifying new battery electric, fuel cell, plug-in hybrid electric or compressed natural gas vehicle. The $7.5 million Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) Point of Sale Incentive Program is an initiative of the BC Ministry of Environment, LiveSmart BC and the New Car Dealers Association of BC. It is intended to encourage and accelerate the sale of clean energy vehicles and technology innovation within British Columbia.
“BC’s new car dealers have been working closely with auto manufacturers to attract new Clean Energy Vehicles to the BC market,” said Blair Qualey, President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. “The CEV rebate program is an important step in that process. Not only will it encourage vehicle manufacturers to choose BC when developing and deploying new clean energy technology, but it will also provide BC consumers with financial incentives to adopt clean energy transportation options.”
Vehicles currently qualifying under the CEV Incentive Program include the Chevrolet Volt, Mitsubishi iMiev, Nissan Leaf, Smart Fortwo, and Toyota Prius. Also included are fuel cell technology models such as the Mercedes-Benz B-class F-cell and Compressed Natural Gas models such as the Honda GX.
Pure battery powered electric vehicles such as the Leaf and iMiev have zero tailpipe emissions. Vehicles qualifying for the rebate are anticipated to cost as little as $300 per year in hydro costs compared to upwards of $1500 per year to fuel a gas powered car.
A new website hosted by the NCDABC, www.cevforbc.ca, to be launched December 1st along with the CEV Incentive Program, will serve as a central point for consumers wanting to learn more about eligible vehicles and incentives for each vehicle.
More than $6 million in provincial funding was also announced for charging stations and upgrades to hydrogen fuelling stations at existing facilities, as well as a rebate of up to $500 per qualifying station for homeowners who want to install dedicated charging stations in their home for their clean energy vehicle. Details are available at www.livesmartbc.ca.
An extra $2.5 million in new funding is also being provided to the BC SCRAP-IT® Program, an initiative that removes high polluting vehicles from BC roads. BC SCRAP-IT Society, in cooperation with BC’s new car dealers, has removed over 30,000 old vehicles from BC roads resulting in the reduction of approximately 200,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases. Emissions testing has shown that some older vehicles scrapped by the program have emissions that are up to 60 times greater than that of a newer vehicle. Details on increased new vehicle purchase incentives can be found at www.scrapit.ca.
“These initiatives represent a host of opportunities for British Columbians to participate in BC’s clean energy future,” said Terry Lake, Minister of Environment. “We'd like to thank the new car dealers throughout the province for their participation in the program and efforts in helping consumers make cleaner choices about their transportation needs."
About New Car Dealers Association of BC
The New Car Dealers Association of BC is the provincial industry association that represents more than 350 new car and truck dealers in 54 communities throughout British Columbia. Members of the Association are responsible for almost $10 billion of economic activity in the province and directly and indirectly employ 34,000 full-time positions. The association speaks on behalf of the retail new automotive industry to the public, media, and government, and deals primarily with the legal, environmental, and consumer issues relating to vehicle sales in British Columbia. For more information visit www.newcardealers.ca.
