February 11, 2016 – It’s getting easier to switch to an electric vehicle (EV) in Ontario, which means more charging stations will be needed. The province says it’s putting its new Climate Change Strategy into action by introducing a modernized Electric Vehicle Incentive Program.

Ontario’s first Electric Vehicle Incentive Program was launched in 2010, providing incentives for the purchase of 4800 electric vehicles and about 1100 home chargers. Premier Kathleen Wynne said the new program will:

• Increase the current incentive range for EVs ($5000-$8500) to $6000-$10,000,
• Provide an opportunity to receive an additional $3000 incentive for vehicles with larger battery capacities,
• Provide an additional $1000 incentive for vehicles with five or more seats,
• Continue to provide incentives linked to battery capacity of more than 5 kW-hours,
• Cap incentives for vehicles priced between $75,000 and $150,000 at $3000,
• Provide up to $1000 for the purchase and installation of chargers for home and business use.

The government stated this initiative builds on the December 2015 announcement that an additional $20 million from Ontario’s Green Investment Fund will go toward creating a network of fast-charging public EV charging stations to support city-to-city and in-city EV travel across the province. Ontario’s Green Investment Fund is a $325-million down payment on the province’s cap and trade program.

 Currently, there are about 5800 EVs in the province, according to the government.