As sales of electric vehicles soar, B.C. adds $10M to clean energy vehicle incentive program

With the popularity of electric vehicles on the rise, the provincial government is having to top up its Clean Energy Vehicle Program.

The government has committed $27 million for the program, which provides a $5,000 credit toward the purchase price of electric cars or plug-in hybrids and $6,000 for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

So many of those cars were being purchased that funding for the program, which was expected to last until 2020, was about to run out by the end of this month.

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“We are making it easier for everyone in our province to choose a clean energy vehicle as their next purchase,” Energy Minister Michelle Mungall said in a release.

“These additional funds will make transportation more affordable today while supporting our long-term work to build a cleaner future.”

Green Party leader Andrew Weaver welcomed the news, saying the government “acted quickly and decisively on this essential priority.”

According to the Ministry of Energy, B.C. had the highest market share of electric vehicle sales in Canada at 3.7 per cent in June.