B.C.’s rebate pause will hurt electric vehicle adoption, car dealers warn

Without the subsidy, new car dealers say B.C.'s ambitious electric vehicle mandates will be unachievable as price-conscious consumers look elsewhere.

New car dealers in British Columbia are pushing back against the province’s plan to pause its electric vehicle rebate program.

The federal government moved to pause its rebates earlier this year, and on Tuesday, provincial Energy Minister Adrian Dix said B.C. was pausing its own rebate as it reviews its CleanBC climate program.

But auto dealers say the move will put the price of new electric vehicles out of reach for many people, particularly as the industry braces for the effects of U.S. auto tariffs.

“Support still needs to be there, there’s still a gap in the price, electric vehicles still cost more than the equivalent vehicles, we need some way to bridge that,” said Blair Qualey, president and CEO of New Car Dealers Association.

British Columbia has doled out more than $650 million to help incentivize electric vehicle adoption since it started its rebate program.

Leigh Heppner, general manager at Preston GM in Langley, said those incentives have been critical in convincing EV-curious shoppers to make the switch.

“Bringing the price down to where it can be more affordable is a huge help to those people who are on the fence,” he said.

“It feels very sudden. I think it’s hard for our customers to plan when maybe they have ordered a vehicle and they are relying on that rebate to be on when it comes in, and it’s not here yet. Or maybe they’ve been considering a new purchase.”