In a move that makes a lot of sense but will still have a few people reeling, Ontario has decided to cut EV incentives on vehicles costing more than $75,000. That means no more $14,000 rebate on a new Tesla Model S or Model X, and you can also forget any sort of rebate on a new Porsche Panamera or Cayenne S E-Hybrid. Most new Mercedes-Benz PHEV models won’t be eligible either.
The move comes after a controversial decision last year to keep the rebates even after they led to five Porsche 918 Spyder buyers getting $5,000 off their $1.1-million supercar back in 2016. Ontario taxpayers handed out a total of almost $800,000 that same year for the purchase of a six-figure EV.
The Ontario government has made some changes to other areas of its EV rebate program as well. Changes based on battery capacity and seating will lead to the Chevrolet Volt getting $1,000 less while the Ford Fusion Energi’s rebate decreases by 730 $. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has been hit particularly hard by the changes as its rebates now sits at $7,000, more than $2,500 less than where it currently sits. On the other hand, the Mitsubishi i-Miev sees its rebate increase $1,000 to $11,000.
It certainly doesn’t make sense to give someone who is capable of spending more than $100,000 on a new car a five-figure rebate, so we have to applaud the decision. That said, it’s probably wrong to assume it won’t change people’s minds about buying an EV, even a luxury one. Sure someone with 100 grand in their pocket may not need that $14,000 rebate on a new Tesla Model S, but it sure is nice to have.
