British Columbia

Ontario, BC update electric-car incentives for Canadian buyers
Stephen Edelstein February 6, 2017

Two Canadian provinces are now offering more generous incentives to electric-car buyers. Ontario is eliminating certain price caps in its electric-car incentive program, while a British Columbia not-for-profit is boosting its "cash-for-clunkers"-style program. Ontario announced its updated incentives February 1, but they apply retroactively to cars purchased on January 1 this year or later. DON'T MISS: First Chevy Bolt EV electric car delivered to Canadian buyer The new rules remove a cap that previously limited incentives to 30 percent of a car's manufacturer's suggested retail price. They...
When Electric-Car Incentives Return: British Columbia Case Study
Christmas came in April last year for plug-in electric vehicle proponents in British Columbia, Canada, when the provincial government reinstated its Clean Energy Vehicle purchase-incentive program. Purchase rebates for B.C. buyers of plug-in electric vehicles had ended in February 2014, when the...
Matthew Klippenstein January 26, 2016
Canadian Plug-in Electric Vehicle Study: 1 Percent To 30 Percent Is The Challenge
Even two years ago, about a third of Canadian car buyers were open to buying a plug-in electric car--but they need a lot more practical and real-world information about the options than they're getting. And without sustained and coordinated policy support, those potential buyers may dwindle to the...
Matthew Klippenstein July 21, 2015

2016 Chevrolet Spark EV To Be Sold At Retail In Canada
It may not have too many more years to live, but the Chevrolet Spark EV will be sold in some new markets starting with the 2016 model year: three Canadian provinces. While General Motors had offered the Spark EV for fleet purchase in parts of the country, it wasn't available to retail...
John Voelcker April 13, 2015
British Columbia Brings Back Electric-Car Purchase Rebates
Yesterday, the Province of British Columbia announced the return of its Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) incentive program, effective April 1. The program's return was the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes efforts by electric-vehicle advocates throughout the province. The so-called Phase 2 of...
Matthew Klippenstein March 24, 2015
BC's Electric-Car Charging Stations: 2 Years Of Data And What It Tells Us
British Columbia's public charging stations got twice as busy in the past year, roughly tracking the increase in the Canadian province's plug-in electric vehicle population. The results were announced earlier this month by the Fraser Basin Council and Powertech Labs, two members of the Plug in BC...
Matthew Klippenstein October 28, 2014
When Electric Car Incentives Expire: A Case Study In Canada
Matthew Klippenstein September 18, 2014

In February, the Canadian province of British Columbia became one of few areas of the world to allow its plug-in electric vehicle purchase incentives to expire. The cause was simple: The initial allocation of funds ran out, and the incentive was not renewed with further funding. Five months of vehicle registration data later, electric-car advocates can estimate how the expiration of incentives impacted plug-in sales. DON'T MISS: Plug-in Electric Car Sales in Canada, Aug 2014: Vive Le Volt We can compare British Columbia sales figures with those of Ontario and Quebec, two provinces that have...
BC To Get Canada's First Electric-Car Fast-Charging Network
The West Coast "green highway" will expand from Oregon and Washington states into British Columbia, under a plan announced today that will site DC quick-charging stations for electric cars along heavy-traveled roads and at popular destinations. BC Hydro, the province's electric utility, said it...
John Voelcker October 31, 2013

New Gas Stations Must Have Quick Charging Or Other Alt Fuels, Canadian City Says
Where should you put public charging stations for electric cars? Local businesses and governments and urban planners all over the country are grappling with that question right now. But one Canadian city has passed a law that requires new or renovated gas stations to install electric-car charging...
John Voelcker September 19, 2013
Chevy Volt Goes North For 2012, Priced At C$41,545 In Canada
With Chevrolet on track to complete its rollout of the 2011 Volt range-extended electric car to all 50 states by the end of this year, the carmaker is turning its sites to other countries. And it's starting next door in one of the two closest foreign countries to the U.S., one right on our border...
John Voelcker May 3, 2011