Residents and organizations in nine NWT communities can now get additional rebates on electric vehicles, on top of recently announced federal government incentives. Effective June 15, the Arctic Energy Alliance is launching a program to help reduce the cost of electric vehicles (also known as EVs) and charging stations.
Rebates of $5,000 are available for purchases of new battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and $500 for Level 2 chargers. When combined with federal government incentives, this means EV buyers can get $10,000 off the price of a new electric vehicle.
To be eligible, a person or organization must be based in a community that uses hydroelectricity—Behchoko, Dettah, Enterprise, Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, Hay River, Kátł’odeeche, N’dilo or Yellowknife. This is because electric vehicles see the greatest savings in energy, cost and greenhouse gas emissions when using a zero-emissions power source, such as hydro.
Residents of these communities must get pre-approval from the Arctic Energy Alliance prior to purchasing their vehicle to ensure it meets the program criteria.
For EV rebates, the base-model manufacturer’s suggested retail price must be $55,000 or less, before options and taxes are applied.
The funding for the new program comes from the Government of the Northwest Territories to support the objectives of the NWT’s 2030 Energy Strategy.