Both programs — Lanark County’s for municipal fleets and the Arctic Energy Alliance’s for all drivers — are designed to complement the existing federal iZEV incentive

Two new electric and hybrid car purchase-incentive programs — one in Ontario and the other in the Northwest Territories — are now available to help put more EVs on Canadian roads.

The new programs also demonstrate the power of local governments to drive change.

At the end of May, Lanark County in Ontario’s Ottawa Valley, announced it would begin matching the federal iZEV incentive for purchases of new municipal fleet vehicles. Approved by county council, the Local Municipal Vehicle Program will match the federal grant, between $2,500 and $5,000, for purchasing an electric or hybrid vehicle by Dec. 31, 2022.

In the Northwest Territories, meanwhile, would-be new electric or hybrid car buyers in any community served with hydroelectric power are eligible for a pair of rebates — an additional $5,000 vehicle rebate on top of the federal rebate, plus a $500 rebate for the installation of a Level 2 charger.

The incentive, announced June 15, is offered by the Arctic Energy Alliance, a not-for-profit, energy-focused organization founded by the NWT government.

Attractive option

In an interview with Cabin Radio, Mark Heyck, the Arctic Energy Alliance’s executive director, said that he hopes the rebates act as an “attractive option” for those in the mentioned communities.

“Transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the NWT, and adopting [electric] passenger vehicles is an excellent way to reduce those emissions,” said Heyck.

Under the NWT program rules, vehicles must be pre-approved by the Arctic Energy Alliance prior to purchase. Currently nine communities with hydroelectricity service qualify: Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Behchokǫ̀, Dettah, Ndilǫ, Enterprise, Fort Resolution and Kátł’odeeche First Nation.