What’s a $10 spot worth?Most of the time it’s a burger and fries. But in the case of a Tesla Model 3, it’s $10 lower than the revised electric vehicle threshold to qualify for a $4,000 rebate from the British Columbia government.Earlier this week BC dropped the price threshold to qualify for an EV rebate from $55,000 to $50,000. So what did Tesla do? Why, it dropped the price of its Model 3 rear wheel drive by $1,000 to $49,990 — or $10 lower than the new level.Other than meeting the new subsidy level, it marks the first time a Tesla has been priced below $50,000 in Canada..Government officials welcomed the change, saying they hoped it would spark price cuts among all automakers, not just Tesla.“This will ensure rebates are targeted to vehicles for middle-income families. It will also push manufacturers to lower their prices — many cars are priced just above $50k,” said Josie Osborne, the province’s minister of energy, mines.This isn’t the first time there has been a change to the program. In 2019, the threshold was cut from $77,000 to $55,000, and three years later an income-test was introduced where individuals with an annual income over $80,000 do not qualify under the CleanBC EV rebate program.Government officials said the changes stem from “sales increasing faster than anticipated,” according to Osborne, adding that they’re currently at record levels.In other changes, mid-size, large cars, station wagons and SUVs are now under the car category. The cap for large vehicles, which include mini-vans, small and standard pickup trucks, and passenger vans, remains unchanged at $70,000..That’s on top of the $5,000 federal rebate that’s available in all provinces and territories. At one point, Ontario had the country’s most generous rebate at $14,000 but it was scrapped by the incoming government of Doug Ford in 2018.The actual rebates depend entirely on income level. Those making $100,000 per year or more aren’t eligible for any rebates.The federal government’s rebate program was launched in 2019. In the 2024 budget it said “zero-emission vehicles have grown as a share of all new-vehicle sales from 3% to 11% in 2023,” and that during that period, Canadians purchased or leased more than 450,000 zero emission vehicles.Reactions from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA) were swift, saying the cut to the rebate threshold “makes absolutely no sense.”“With EV sales increasing and currently at record levels, (we are) making these changes given available program funding and to ensure rebates are targeted to vehicles for middle-income families,” James Donald, Executive Director, BC Clean Transportation said.
What’s a $10 spot worth?Most of the time it’s a burger and fries. But in the case of a Tesla Model 3, it’s $10 lower than the revised electric vehicle threshold to qualify for a $4,000 rebate from the British Columbia government.Earlier this week BC dropped the price threshold to qualify for an EV rebate from $55,000 to $50,000. So what did Tesla do? Why, it dropped the price of its Model 3 rear wheel drive by $1,000 to $49,990 — or $10 lower than the new level.Other than meeting the new subsidy level, it marks the first time a Tesla has been priced below $50,000 in Canada..Government officials welcomed the change, saying they hoped it would spark price cuts among all automakers, not just Tesla.“This will ensure rebates are targeted to vehicles for middle-income families. It will also push manufacturers to lower their prices — many cars are priced just above $50k,” said Josie Osborne, the province’s minister of energy, mines.This isn’t the first time there has been a change to the program. In 2019, the threshold was cut from $77,000 to $55,000, and three years later an income-test was introduced where individuals with an annual income over $80,000 do not qualify under the CleanBC EV rebate program.Government officials said the changes stem from “sales increasing faster than anticipated,” according to Osborne, adding that they’re currently at record levels.In other changes, mid-size, large cars, station wagons and SUVs are now under the car category. The cap for large vehicles, which include mini-vans, small and standard pickup trucks, and passenger vans, remains unchanged at $70,000..That’s on top of the $5,000 federal rebate that’s available in all provinces and territories. At one point, Ontario had the country’s most generous rebate at $14,000 but it was scrapped by the incoming government of Doug Ford in 2018.The actual rebates depend entirely on income level. Those making $100,000 per year or more aren’t eligible for any rebates.The federal government’s rebate program was launched in 2019. In the 2024 budget it said “zero-emission vehicles have grown as a share of all new-vehicle sales from 3% to 11% in 2023,” and that during that period, Canadians purchased or leased more than 450,000 zero emission vehicles.Reactions from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA) were swift, saying the cut to the rebate threshold “makes absolutely no sense.”“With EV sales increasing and currently at record levels, (we are) making these changes given available program funding and to ensure rebates are targeted to vehicles for middle-income families,” James Donald, Executive Director, BC Clean Transportation said.
