The Higgs government has put the wheels in motion for an electric vehicle rebate.
The New Brunswick Electric Vehicle Incentive Program will provide a rebate for individuals who buy or lease an eligible new or used vehicle from a dealer in the province.
Rebates range from $1,000 to $5,000 based on whether the vehicle is new or used and battery-powered or hybrid. NB Power will be responsible for issuing the rebate until this fall when dealerships will take over the responsibility.
“This incentive program will help New Brunswickers purchase an electric vehicle, and it will help us meet our target of 20,000 electric vehicles by 2030,’’ said Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister Mike Holland.
As of March, 732 electric vehicles were registered in the province, according to Nick Brown, a spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development.
New Brunswick is the last maritime province to offer a rebate on electric vehicles after Nova Scotia and PEI introduced programs earlier this year.
After receiving the rebate, New Brunswickers can also qualify for a rebate if they install a Level 2 home charging station.
The province currently offers a fast-charging station nearly every 63 kilometres on major routes. There are 196 Level 2 chargers and 87 Level 3 DC fast chargers.
The federal government offers an incentive of its own, with a rebate of up to $5000 through the Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) Program.
