VANCOUVER -- The B.C. government is pumping another $40 million into the Clean Energy Vehicle Program.
Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett says the funds will be distributed over the next three years and will offer continued purchase incentives of up to $5,000 for battery electric vehicles and $6,000 for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.
When the incentives from the SCRAP-IT program are added, the government says that purchasers could save up to $11,000 on a new electric vehicle.
SCRAP-IT incentives apply when an older vehicle is taken off the road and range from $500 toward the cost of a pedal or electric bike, car-share credit or transit pass, to as much as $6,000 for the purchase of a new electric vehicle.
In addition to supporting continued financial incentives, the ministry says the new funding will also be used to expand public, residential and workplace charging and hydrogen fuelling stations, and support research in the zero-emission vehicle sector.
The Energy and Mines Ministry says in a statement that continued, stable funding for the Clean Energy Vehicle Program creates jobs and economic opportunities province-wide.
"We welcome this significant additional investment in the program as well as the recent increases in the SCRAP-IT program. We are also pleased to see support for vehicles other than cars, such as bikes, scooters, and specialty vehicles," says Bruce Sharpe, president of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association.
Sharpe says the Clean Energy Vehicle program will encourage more people to consider green transportation, helping to cut greenhouse gas emissions while improving air quality and energy efficiency.
