In preparation for the 2021 Federal Budget, the Privy Council Office (PCO) conducted a cross-country poll looking at EV subsidies. This poll found strong support for EV subsidies across Canada, including Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia.
The poll was conducted in November-December of 2020 and was part of PCO’s weekly public opinion surveys. The results showed Quebec, B.C., and the Atlantic provinces had the most support for the iZEV incentive.
The poll says that only 37% of respondents were aware of the existing federal subsidy. It also says that only 6.2% of respondents owned either an electric plug-in or hybrid vehicle. In positive news, the poll says that 41% of respondents plan to purchase either a hybrid or plug-in EV as their next vehicle.
Currently, Canada has a national $5,000 subsidy for EVs, which has been in place since Spring of 2019. The Federal government is in the middle of a five-year program building charging stations across the country. Provincially, only British Columbia, Quebec and Yukon have additional EV subsidies available to consumers.
The Federal Budget is due to announce in the coming weeks. It will be interesting if EVs find their way into an economic or green recovery plan at the Federal level.
Source: Global News
