EV rebate claims top $122M, but many dealers still waiting on Ottawa to pay - BERITAJA

Canadians claimed much than $122 cardinal successful national subsidies for caller electric vehicles since Ottawa reintroduced its rebate programme successful February, but galore car dealers opportunity they’re still waiting to get the costs they are owed.

Transport Canada published the database for the caller electrical vehicles affordability program, known arsenic EVAP, connected Tuesday, 3 months aft relaunching the programme connected Feb. 16.

The database shows 24,389 claims were recorded but doesn’t yet person a breakdown of the dollar fig per declare because of a method glitch.

A section spokesperson, responding to inquiries from BERITAJA, said it will update the information erstwhile the glitch is fixed. The section besides confirmed the full magnitude of claims astatine $122 cardinal frankincense far, leaving much than $2.1 cardinal available.

Ottawa allocated $2.275 cardinal toward the rebate program, which is to past up to 5 years.

But the Canadian Auto Dealers Association says galore dealerships still person not been reimbursed nether the caller program, and immoderate are waiting for much than $200,000 successful rebates. The programme is group up truthful dealers use the rebate connected the last measure and past activity reimbursement from Ottawa.

“The committedness to salary dealers successful a timely mode has not happened successful the early days of the program,” said Huw Williams, spokesperson for the dealers’ association.

“There does not look to beryllium an appreciation that the timelines for repayment are hurting business rate flow. This is money we are advancing connected behalf of the national government.”

Williams said immoderate dealers’ rebate claims person been denied because of typos connected declare forms, specified arsenic filing a waste day from earlier the program’s Feb. 16 launch. He said location is nary entreaty aliases reappraisal system for denied claims.

“All dealers mislaid a grade of assurance since the monolithic iZEV programme delays past year. We want this programme to win and we person made that clear to the government,” he said.

In a connection to BERITAJA, Transport Canada said it is alert of the concerns and is moving connected a fix. It besides said it is reviewing cases wherever administrative errors whitethorn person led to rejected claims.

“There is nary clasp connected repayments; complete and validated claims proceed to beryllium processed and reimbursed,” the section said.

“While Transport Canada intends to process complete and meticulous claims arsenic quickly arsenic possible, timelines whitethorn alteration depending connected validation requirements and submission volumes.”

Ottawa launched the first national EV rebate programme successful 2019, and renewed its backing respective times earlier shutting it down successful January 2025 erstwhile the last allocation of costs ran out.

Electric conveyance income plunged almost instantly — from a precocious of 18 per cent of each caller vehicles successful the last months of the first rebate programme to beneath 10 per cent successful the months aft it was put connected hold.

Sales jumped much than 80 per cent successful March, compared to February, correct aft the rebates could beryllium claimed again.

Ottawa group a target of putting 840,000 caller EVs connected the roadworthy by offering up to $5,000 toward the costs of a caller EV, and $2,500 toward plug-in hybrids nether the caller program.

Vehicles sold aft Feb. 16 are eligible for the rebates, but dealers couldn’t commencement filing claims to get the money until April 6. That day was a week later than the planned March 31 motorboat arsenic Transport Canada worked to finalize the caller claims portal.

The number of rebates successful the first 3 months of the caller programme is akin to the number recorded successful the last fewer months of the erstwhile Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program, amended known arsenic iZEV.

The rebates will alteration each twelvemonth until they’re phased retired successful 2030 — aliases until the program’s backing runs out.

The rebates use only to vehicles that costs little than $50,000.

Canadian-made EVs, which correct now see only the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler Pacifica, are exempt from the $50,000 cap.

Since the caller programme was launched, 59 claims for Chargers and 14 for the Pacifica were made.

At 4,088 claims, the Toyota bZ was the about celebrated exemplary for rebates, followed by the Chevrolet Equinox EV pinch 3,065 claims.

Imported EVs are only eligible for rebates if they travel from countries pinch which Canada has free-trade agreements.

That intends Chinese-built EVs — including Teslas — are unopen retired of the program. Teslas were by acold the about celebrated cars nether the erstwhile programme and accounted for 30 per cent of each rebates claimed betwixt October and November 2025.