Ontario boosts incentives to people who buy electric vehicles

Ontario is increasing the financial incentive to make the switch to electric vehicles.

The maximum incentive will rise to $10,000 from $8,500 and vehicles with five or more seats will qualify for an extra $1,000, Premier Kathleen Wynne said Wednesday.

Vehicles with “larger battery capacities come with an additional grant of $3,000.”

“With a growing population and expanding urban regions, transportation emissions pose one of our province’s greatest challenges in achieving our ambitious greenhouse gas pollution reduction targets,” Wynne said.

The government said it will also boost its funding to build more electric vehicle charging stations by $20 million.

Electric vehicles are a tiny portion of traffic on Ontario roads and highways — there are just 5,800 despite subsidies that have been available since 2010.

Agencies/Canadajournal