Fuel savings and government rebates have continued to drive sales of electric vehicles in B.C. through 2020, with more than 54,000 zero-emission vehicles registered in the province by the end of the year.
The province offers point-of-sale rebates of $3,000 for buying or leasing new fully electric vehicles and $1,500 for hybrid electric vehicles, and this year added $31 million for incentives for commercial zero-emission vehicles as part of its COVID-19 recovery plan.
“In 2020, B.C. had the highest uptake of zero-emission vehicles in North America,” Energy Minister Bruce Ralston said as the province’s annual update was released April 6. Zero-emission vehicles averaged 9.4 per cent of total new vehicle sales over the year.
Registered zero-emission vehicle totals by region for 2020 show it's still mainly an urban southwest thing #bcpoli #bcleg pic.twitter.com/3pwbh7lHOC
— Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc) April 6, 2021
The province now has more than 2,500 public charging stations, which Environment Minister George Heyman said is a key to zero-emission adoption, along with an average saving of $1,800 a year in fuel costs.
“People in communities across British Columbia are increasingly choosing electric vehicles to reduce air pollution, and for a better driving experience and lower operating costs,” Heyman said.
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