The province is investing $145.5 million over three years to support the purchase of clean transport technologies, used electric heavy-duty vehicles and logistics projects that improve vehicle efficiencies

Quebec’s Écocamionnage rebate program for electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles has reopened after a 16-month hiatus.

The Quebec government announced this week it is allocating $145.5 million over the next three years to fund the program, which supports the decarbonization of freight and service vehicles through electrification, energy-efficiency upgrades and the adoption of alternative energy sources.

“Écocamionnage has already removed the equivalent of more than 15,000 light vehicles from Quebec roads each year, demonstrating its real impact,” says Bernard Drainville, Quebec’s minister of the environment, the fight against climate change, wildlife and parks, in a press statement.

“By renewing this program, our government continues to support the industry in its transition to more efficient and less polluting solutions.”

The new funding falls under the 2025–2030 Implementation Plan for the Green Economy Plan and is largely financed through revenues from Quebec’s carbon market.

Earlier this year, the province signalled its intention to revive the Écocamionnage program with a $415-million, five-year commitment outlined in the same climate plan.

Three funding streams

Under the relaunch, the Écocamionnage program is now structured into three funding streams.

The first stream supports the purchase of new clean technologies, including electric trucks and vans, plug-in hybrids, fuel-cell electric vehicles, low-speed vehicles, electric-assist cargo bikes and related equipment. The goal is to expand the use of proven emission-reducing technologies across Quebec’s freight and service-vehicle sector.

Applicants must be registered heavy-vehicle operators with a Quebec business number and have a head office or establishment in the province. Technologies must be new and listed as eligible under the program. Purchases must be made from a Quebec-based supplier, dealer or manufacturer when available.

Funding typically covers 25–35 per cent of the costs, ranging from $30,000 to $150,000, depending on the vehicle class and technology.

The second stream, focused on used electric heavy-duty vehicles, aims to accelerate the adoption of lower-emission equipment already on the market. It supports two- to six-year-old electric, plug-in hybrid or fuel-cell electric trucks that have passed a battery-capacity inspection and appear on the eligibility list. Vehicles must be purchased through a Quebec dealer and registered in the province for the first time under the program.

Financial assistance can reach up to 20 per cent of the incentive offered on a comparable new vehicle, with the exact percentage tied to vehicle age.

The final stream funds logistics projects that cut emissions by improving fleet efficiency.

Eligible applicants include companies, municipalities, public institutions and cooperatives that have operated in Quebec for at least two years. The program covers 50 per cent of project costs, up to $500,000, with a cap of $400 per tonne of GHGs reduced over three years. Applicants can also receive up to $15,000 to cover verification and quantification reporting

Industry reaction

Quebec-based fleets, trucking groups and clean-transportation advocates, who spent months urging the government to restart the Écocamionnage program, are now welcoming its return.

In a statement, Electric Mobility Canada says it is pleased the relaunch is happening “ahead of the holiday season, providing timely support for the adoption of clean technologies in the freight transportation sector” and “help get workers back on the job.”

Meanwhile, for Propulsion Québec, “the return of Écocamionnage finally sends a clear signal. Carriers are ready to invest, and the solutions are available,” says interim CEO Alexis Laprés-Paradis in a statement.

The group also highlighted several improvements: retroactive eligibility for expenses incurred after Sept. 6, 2024; a 15 per cent bonus for technologies assembled or manufactured in Quebec; and the inclusion of a dedicated category for electric cargo bikes, which now qualify for up to 35 per cent of purchase costs, to a maximum of $3,000.

However, Propulsion Québec pointed to some drawbacks as well, including the removal of a collaborative charging-infrastructure stream, reduced maximum incentives for Class 8 trucks, decreasing from $175,000 to $150,000, lower rebates for Class 2b and 3 vehicles, and a sharp drop in subsidies for low-speed vehicles.

The Corporation des concessionnaires automobiles du Québec (CCAQ) also welcomed the program’s return but expressed concerns about the province’s Zero-Emission Vehicle standard placing stricter requirements on passenger-vehicle dealers, which includes a 32.5 per cent EV-sales mandate for 2026 and looming penalties. The CCAQ also called out the regulatory inconsistencies around passenger EV incentives being phased out in Quebec.

“To ensure the success of the energy transition, we need a comprehensive vision and stability that allows businesses and consumers to adapt,” says CCAQ president and CEO Ian P. Sam Yue Chi in a press statement.

The Écocamionnage program will run until March 31, 2028.

Find more information about the program here.