Toronto, Ontario — Toronto-based non-profit Plug’n Drive launched a new incentive program on February 1—Ontario drivers looking to go electric can have their gas vehicles scrapped and recycles and receive a $1,000 cheque in the process.
The program is offered in tandem with Plug’n Drive’s Used Electric Vehicle Incentive, which was announced last year and offers an additional $1,000 toward the purchase of a used electric vehicle. With the combination of both incentive programs, that’s up to $2,000 in incentives for buying a used fully electric or plug-in hybrid car.
To qualify for the new scrappage program, a driver must first attend an information seminar and test drive at Plug’n Drive. The driver then has up to one year to purchase a used EV or hybrid, at which point they will receive the $1,000 incentive and can register to have their old car scrapped.
As with the Used EV Incentive, the scrappage program is presented by Plug’n Drive in collaboration with the Clean Air Partnership and is funded privately by the M.H. Brigham Foundation.
The scrapping process is performed by the Automotive Recycler’s of Canada, who are providing the infrastructure for vehicle collection and processing.
Plug’n Drive asks that interested drivers pursue the Used EV Incentive first, as you must be eligible for and apply to the program prior to registering for the new Scrappage Incentive.
“We prefer that drivers pursue the Used EV Incentive first,” reads Plug’n Drive’s website. “That is, attending an EV 101 seminar, test driving an EV at the EV Discovery Centre or an EV Roadshow event and buying a used EV within up-to one year of attending the seminar. That way you are scrapping your car at the same time as buying your used EV.”
Drivers may only apply to receive the Scrappage Incentive after applying for and successfully completing the EV seminar and a test drive.
Unlike other EV-savvy provinces such as Quebec and British Columbia, Ontario does not offer a financial rebate when it comes to purchasing a zero-emissions vehicle. The only incentive available to Ontario EV buyers is the $5,000 federal rebate, which was introduced last May after premier Doug Ford cancelled Ontario’s existing rebate program.
Between May and December of last year, Plug’n Drive says more than 300 Ontario drivers had completed the program and bought a used EV.
“It has been hugely popular,” Cara Clairman, president and CEO of Plug’n Drive said of the Used EV Incentive.
On the west coast, SCRAP-IT, a joint project between the province and private sectors, offers a similar initiative for B.C. drivers looking to go electric. Pacific drivers willing to scrap their vehicles can receive a $3,000 incentive towards the purchase of a used EV, $6,000 towards a new EV, or $850 off the purchase of an electric bike.
As of 2020, over 49,000 drivers had benefitted from the initiative.
