Electric vehicles in B.C. up 1,600% in six years

Jun 1, 2022 | 2:00 PM

The British Columbia government is taking some of the credit for what officials say is a 1,600 per cent increase in the number of electric vehicles (EV) on B.C. roads the last six years.

A government news release said B.C. has seen substantial growth in EV uptake, from 5,000 light-duty EVs registered in 2016, to more than 85,000 today.

In the first quarter of 2022, EVs made up 17 per cent of new light-duty passenger vehicles sold in B.C.

“In the past five years, the CleanBC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate program has helped more than 53,000 people in the province make the move to a clean-energy EV. In 2021, 18,533 EV rebates were issued,” the news release stated.

The program provides rebates on eligible passenger vehicles of up to:

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$3,000 for the purchase or lease of a new battery electric vehicle, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, or longer-range plug-in hybrid electric vehicle;
$1,500 for the purchase or lease of a shorter-range plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

“British Columbians are eager to switch to cleaner forms of transportation, and we’re providing them with the tools they need to make this transition through our CleanBC GoElectric programs,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “With the highest reported uptake rates of EVs in North America, B.C. is a leader in the movement to end our reliance on fossil fuels.”

In its budget this year, John Horgan’s NDP government introduced a provincial sales tax exemption for used EVs, effective until 2027, making the purchase of an EV more affordable.

The province said it continues to make investments to expand the EV charging network throughout B.C.
At the end of 2021, there were more than 3,100 public charging stations, compared to 781 in 2016.

“New and increased funding in Go Electric EV charging rebate programs is helping build the infrastructure needed in public spaces, homes and workplaces to ensure British Columbians can travel the province with ease in their EVs,” said the ministry.

And as far as getting repairs and servicing for electric vehicles, the government has expanded the Electric EV Maintenance Training program in 2022 to more colleges. The expansion provides more automotive technicians with opportunities to upgrade their skills to work on EVs. Seven schools offer the program, covering all regions in B.C.

by Pete McIntyre

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