If you’ve been thinking about buying or leasing an electric vehicle, this may be the push you need to go green.

In May 2019, Canada introduced the Incentives for Zero-Emissions Vehicles (iZEV) Program, which provides prospective EV owners with rebates of up to $5,000.

Some British Columbians who recently bought electric vehicles from Tesla were informed by their car dealership that the province ran out of funds for the “Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) Rebate.”

Several customers shared messages from dealerships with Daily Hive notifying them that they would have to forgo the rebate or wait until the government updates the program.

However, the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation says that this is not true.

“The CleanBC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate Program has NOT run out of funds, and we plan to deliver rebates to BC zero-emission vehicles customers for the entire year, as planned,” it stated.

According to the Province, Tesla appeared to have notified its customers and salespeople before checking in with the ministry.

If your province doesn’t provide an incentive like this, not to worry.

The federal government also issues a rebate through its iZEV Program.

Make the switch! Our Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles Programs help make transitioning to #ElectricVehicles 🚘🔌 easier and more affordable. Learn more: https://t.co/RL44hcAKF5 #GreenerTomorrow🌱 pic.twitter.com/TWdg3P64q1

— Transport Canada (@Transport_gc) May 16, 2023

The program has an end date of March 31, 2025, or until available funding is exhausted.

Fortunately, as of March 31, 2023, the program still has $108,123,237 remaining in funds for the 2022/23 fiscal year, so you still have a chance to take advantage of buying or leasing electric vehicles.

Before you head to the dealership, here are the electric vehicles that qualify for the rebate.

Eligible electric vehicles

The federal government considers the following overarching guidelines when deciding which EVs are eligible for the incentive:

• The EV meets all of Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
• It’s meant for use on public streets, roads, and highways
• It has at least four functioning wheels and be able to drive on a highway (in other words, not a low-speed vehicle)

It adds that only new ZEVs are eligible for the rebate (in other words, you can’t buy them used). However, you can receive the rebate if you purchase a demo ZEV (a car that customers can test drive) as long as the odometer reads less than 10,000 km.

The government says that vehicles are still eligible for the incentive even if delivery, freight, and other fees push the actual purchase price over the set limits.

You can find the full list of EVs that qualify here. It includes electric vehicles ranging from BMWs to Toyotas.

How you’ll receive the rebate

The incentive will be applied at the point of sale by the dealership, according to the government. It will appear directly on the bill or lease agreement.

Make sure the dealership applies the taxes and fees to the purchase or lease before it applies the incentive. They also must submit the documents required for a customer to be reimbursed for the incentive at the point of sale.

The federal rebate will be applied in addition to any provincial or territorial incentives.

If you’re leasing a ZEV, you will only receive the rebate if the car is leased for at least 12 months. The incentive will be prorated based on the length of a lease less than 48 months.  For example, a 48-month lease is eligible for the full incentive, while a vehicle with a 24-month lease will be eligible for half the incentive.

With files from Nikitha Martins

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