Deal is good ‘because it’s complex’: auto industry leader

Ottawa bringing back electric vehicle rebates: Carney

Ottawa is bringing back the federal rebate for electric vehicles as part of the Liberals’ proposed national automotive strategy. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the program would see a $5,000 rebate for buying battery electric and fuel cell EVs, and up to $2,500 for plug-in hybrids. The rebates would run until 2031.

Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’​ Association, told us he’s very happy with the deal “because it’s complex.”

“It addresses the demand side and the supply side, keeps us on a strong path against carbon emissions, but allows for all the manufacturers to choose their technology path,” he said.

Volpe acknowledged that Canadians who want EVs are looking for competitively priced vehicles — but said those who haven’t transitioned to electrification might be hesitant to do so because of infrastructure concerns. 

“‘Where do I plug in? Can I rely that it’s there? Is it along my path? How do I get away from the ease of driving an internal combustion engine vehicle? There’s a gas station at the corner,'” he said, listing off drivers’ possible considerations.

He said many of today’s announcements “are going to make that charging density competitive so that people can contemplate the change without anxiety.”