According to recently revealed statistics from the provincial government, sales of new light-duty electric vehicle models in BC made up 18.1% of the total in 2022.

The data supports the perception that more Teslas are on the road in British Columbia, particularly in the Lower Mainland. According to recently revealed statistics from the provincial government, sales of new light-duty electric vehicle models in BC made up 18.1% of the total in 2022.
This is a considerable increase compared to merely 0.8% in 2015 and 13% in 2022. The province of British Columbia is on track to meet its targets of 26% zero-emission new car sales by 2026, 90% by 2030, and 100% by the legislated date of 2035, which is five years sooner than the initial aim of 2040 and coincides with the federal government's subsequently set 2035 target.
This is thanks to 2022's robust growth. By the 2022 end, the province had roughly 110,000 new light-duty electric vehicles registered, including over 30,000 new registrations during the year. This is an increase from the 5,000 new cars sold by these eco-friendly vehicle models in 2016.
The provincial government reports that BC continues to have one of Canada's highest rates of zero-emission car adoption. Although hydrogen-powered vehicles fall under the general concept of zero-emission vehicles, electric-battery models have mostly taken over this area.
The province government claims that its electric vehicle subsidy programs have significantly influenced automobile owners' decisions to buy such emission-free models. The province government has given over 62,000 electric-battery vehicle subsidies worth over $198 million between April 2015 and December 2022.
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The BC rebate program changed in August 2022 to a new structure that offers reimbursements based on a sliding income scale. Individuals with yearly incomes under $80,000 are eligible for a total rebate of up to $4,000.
At the same time, those earning between $80,000 and $100,000 are qualified for rebates ranging from $500 to $2,000, depending on their income level and kind of car. Refunds are not available to those with incomes exceeding $100,000.
The guidelines for eligible vehicles were also altered. The primary manufacturer suggested retail price for smaller vehicles must be under $55,000. In comparison, the base manufacturer suggested retail price for more oversized cars must be under $70,000.
According to the provincial government, the Tesla Model 3 received the highest incentives for light-duty electric vehicles in 2022, followed by the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona, Hyundai IONIQ 5, and Mini Cooper BEV.
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A matching development of the public charging station network has occurred to meet the rising number of electric-battery vehicles. However, according to BC Hydro, one of the significant obstacles to switching to an electric-battery car type is range anxiety, which is addressed by this.
BC had around 3,800 public charging stations by the end of 2022, up from just 781 in 2016. The provincial government this week pledged an additional $26 million in funds to assist in covering the cost of building 250 other public charging stations.
Additionally, several regional and local legislation encourage installing charging stations at residences and places of business.
According to estimates, compared to a conventional gas-powered automobile, an electric vehicle with batteries saves the average British Columbian driver between $1,800 and $2,500 yearly on fuel. In addition, maintenance expenses are also reduced due to the much fewer moving parts in an electric-battery car.