Vehicle Eligibility Criteria
Vehicles must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the CleanBC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate:
Be New
To be eligible, the vehicle must be a new vehicle constructed entirely from new parts that have never been the subject of a retail sale, or previously registered in British Columbia or other jurisdiction. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or its authorized licensee must manufacture the vehicle. Registration of Out-of-Province Vehicles are not eligible vehicles. If the vehicle is not new, has been re-leased, is the subject of a lease assumption or has been transferred into British Columbia after previously having been registered out-of province, the vehicle is not eligible for a rebate through the CleanBC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate Program (the “Program”). Aftermarket plug-in hybrid electric vehicle conversions are not eligible for Program rebate funding. The program will recognise a vehicle as new if a customer who has purchased a vehicle returns, for any reason, the vehicle within a maximum of three weeks from the purchase date.
For the purpose of the CleanBC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate Program, vehicles with over 500 km at the time of the sale/delivery are not considered new.
Be an Eligible Vehicle Class
To be eligible, a vehicle must be classified in either of the following classification as per Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Fuel Consumption Guide:
| Vehicle Class | Description |
|---|---|
| Cars | Two-seater Minicompact Subcompact Compact Mid-size Full-size |
| Larger Vehicles* | Station wagon Pickup truck Sport utility vehicle Minivans Small pickup truck Van Special purpose vehicle |
*Includes the vehicle types listed here, and vehicles classified as Class 2a vehicles (up to 8,500 pounds).
Be Certified
To be eligible, the vehicle must be either covered by a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certificate or be deemed to be covered by an EPA certificate in accordance with the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulation under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999), and must meet all requirements outlined in Transport Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Act and its regulations. Vehicles from foreign OEMs must be on Transport Canada’s Pre-Clearing Appendix F (import over 2,500 vehicle per year) or Appendix G (import less than 2,500) list to be eligible.
Be Highway Capable
BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation may request that a vehicle manufacturer provide a written statement declaring whether or not the vehicle is capable of highway operation. A vehicle will be presumed not capable of operation on the highway if any one of the following circumstances apply:
- The vehicle is a low-speed vehicle.
- The vehicle is prohibited by law from being operated on the highway or is only capable of limited operation on the highway.
- The manufacturer has required, or will require, the purchaser or lessee to sign an agreement that limits, or prevents, the operation of the vehicle on the highway.
- There is a written manufacturer’s statement or recommendation (which can include the owner’s manual for the vehicle) that the vehicle should not be operated on the highway or should have limited operation on the highway.
Time in British Columbia
To receive a vehicle rebate the vehicle must remain plated, registered and insured in British Columbia in the applicant’s name for at least 12 months from date of sale/lease.
It will be expected that the dealership through tracking of the applicant ensure that the applicant abides by the above conditions for 12 months.
If before the 12 months is up, the applicant does not abide by all of the above conditions, the dealership will be required to collect from the applicant the repayment of the full amount of the point-of-purchase rebate they had received through the Program.
The dealership would submit the repayment to the NCDA, who would put it back into the point-of-purchase funding. However, if the repayment is received after the term of the agreement has expired, NCDA would in that case submit the repayment to BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
In the circumstances in which the dealership is unsuccessful after 12 months of attempting to obtain repayments from the non-abiding applicants, the dealership would submit documentation of all attempts at recovery. NCDA would submit the documentation to BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovations. These repayment procedures would also apply to any repayments received regarding leases.
Be on the CleanBC Eligible Vehicles List
The vehicle must be on the list of eligible vehicles at the time of the sale/lease.
Policy regarding traded-in ZEVs
The Program requires participating dealers to track applicants to ensure that the applicant abides by the condition that the vehicle remains plated and insured in British Columbia in the applicant’s name for 12-months from the date of purchase and to collect from non-abiding applicants the repayment of the appropriate amount of the point-of-purchase discount that the applicant had received through the Program. The Program only allows individuals to receive one rebate from the program for the life of the program.
If a ZEV is being considered for a trade-in on the purchase of a new ZEV it is best practice before completing a deal to determine if the customer has met the 12-month ownership requirement of the Program and if they’ve received a rebate from the Program for a previous vehicle purchase. Dealers can contact the Program team to check if the customer has met the 12-month ownership requirement of the Program.
If a ZEV is sold under a deal where the applicant is not eligible to receive another rebate or has not met program requirements a rebate will not be issued to the dealer or the rebate payment will be held until the applicant meets program criteria (either meeting the 12 month requirement or repaying the original rebate to the original dealer).
Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) Cap
Eligible vehicles must have a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of $55,000 and below for cars category and $70,000 and below for the larger vehicles category. Cars under the program are equivalent to cars as classified under the NRCan Fuel Consumption Guide, except for the station wagon designation, which is classified as a larger vehicle for the purpose of the program. The larger vehicles category under the program is equivalent to the light trucks classification under NRCan Fuel Consumption Guide. Larger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 3,856 kg (8,500 lb) are not eligible for rebates under the program. Ministry staff are monitoring these price caps and will adjust it if necessary.
Optional accessories/equipment (e.g., packages) and fees (e.g., destination, documentation, tire levy, taxes) do not affect the vehicle eligibility for the program. Under the MSRP eligibility criterion, the battery and powertrain are not options. If an OEM offers a business model where the battery or the powertrain are options, the price of the battery or powertrain must be included in the MSRP. The MSRP criterion for vehicle eligibility is based on the vehicle model year, model, and trim. Vehicles must be on the eligibility list prior to purchase/lease to qualify for a rebate.
Demonstration and Service Vehicles
A dealer demonstration and service loaner vehicles will be eligible if the vehicle meets all the following criteria.
Dealer demonstration vehicles:
- It has never been registered (except for the OEM/dealership);
- It has only ever been driven by dealership staff (except for test drives); and
- Its mileage is less than 10,000 km.
Dealer service loaner vehicles:
- It has never been registered (except for the OEM/dealership); and
- The mileage is less than 10,000 km.
Vehicles that have been previously registered to only the OEM will be eligible for the rebate if they meet program criteria and have a mileage of less than 10,000 km.
