B.C. takes advantage of new subsidy with surge of electric vehicle orders
Posted May 20, 2019 5:17 pm.
Last Updated May 20, 2019 5:21 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia is reporting a surge in electric car orders following a new federal incentive which kicked in this month.
The NCDA’s Blair Qualey says around 1,800 electric vehicles have been purchased in B.C so far in May and credits, in part, the new $5,000 federal subsidy. He says British Columbians are definitely taking advantage of the incentive.
“We went through $6.5 million dollars in the fund from May 1 to last Wednesday,” he says. “Fortunately, the government was prepared and ready, as we asked them to be, and they topped up another $10 million in the fund last Thursday.”
Qualey calls it a perfect storm – incentives from both the B.C. and federal governments, concerns about gas prices and more available information about electric vehicles have all increased orders.
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“We went from nothing to this bubble of pent up demand that ran through the door May 1 and frankly, we’re still seeing some of that.”
He says as the cars become more affordable and their ranges increase, they’ll continue to become more appealing to buyers.
“Clearly, people have been paying more attention over time as more and more people have taken advantage of electric vehicles, and they may have a neighbour down the road or somebody at work that’s purchased one and drives one.”
Qualey adds last fall, B.C. had the largest rates of electric vehicle adoption in the country, and so far, that trend is continuing.
