REPORT: Ontario to announce incentives for plug-in vehicles, up to $10K
Ford Focus EV "mule" - Click above for high-res image gallery
The premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, reportedly plans to announce a major incentive program for plug-in vehicles today in Toronto. Ontario has already given several billion dollars to General Motors and Chrysler and wants to help boost the industry further to try and recoup some of its "investment." To that end, McGuinty plans to offer tax incentives of up to $10,000 toward the purchase of plug-in vehicles.
No details are available yet, but the plan would likely be similar to a U.S. program, with graduated incentives of up to $7,500 depending on the capacity of the battery. A wide array of plug-ins are expected to arrive over the next several years, including the Chevrolet Volt, Ford's Transit Connect and Focus based EVs, Toyota's PHEV Prius and Nissan's EV, among others. McGuinty will reportedly also pledge to have at least 20 percent of the province's vehicle fleet be plug-ins by 2020. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Gallery: ABG Quick Drive: Ford Focus EV mule
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: CTV]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Coolio 2:06PM (7/15/2009)
Volt, here I come !!!!
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C.W. 2:51PM (7/15/2009)
by the time you actually can get the volt... you'll have several other choices of electric powertrains, hybrids, etc that will cost less, look better and perform better.
look at the timing of Ford's electrification strategy for the next Focus and transit (and others)... i just have a hard time getting excited about the volt when it's already failed to live up to any of the hype originally promised.
Coolio 4:18PM (7/15/2009)
Yes, but so far the Volt is the only model that has an ICE range extender.
Your other comments are a matter of taste. Other than the comment about performing better, which no one has a way of knowing at present.
jonjon72 2:17PM (7/15/2009)
Great, more of our tax dollars being spent with zero input from the public.
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Justin 2:22PM (7/15/2009)
Zero input? The customer has been saying for years that they want smaller more fuel efficient cars... An incentive to get what you want is at your feet. I don't see anything wrong with that.
Brent 2:47PM (7/15/2009)
Well, those people that want smaller, more efficient cars should buy them with their money. Not stolen money that the government gives away.
LBuzzer 3:22PM (7/15/2009)
@Justin - You don't pay taxes, do you??
McGuinty logic at its finest. Glad to see every other problem in our crumbling province has been solved!
Let's see:
Our "Universal" Health Care requires people to pay for their chimo after 16 treatments (Thanks again Dalton!);
We get to pay a Health "Premium" *coughTAX* of a few hundred dollars that has done bubkus for health care,
our manufacturing sector is dying,
But here's Sir Spend-a-lot McGuinty going for the image of solving a non-existent (that's right!) environmental problem by asking us who are lucky enough to still have jobs to fork over thousands of dollars in incentives to *help* the well-off supposedly help with inconsequential greenhouse gas emissions by buying cars that either run on gas anyway, or are charged on a grid powered by coal-fired plants that McGuinty promised to close a few years ago and has since *GASP!!!* changed his mind about?
All while I putz around in my $5K beater cuz that's all I can afford? GO TO HELL, McGuinty!
'Scuse the rant and the outburst, but this idiocy gets my goat, and its pervasiveness in Canadian politics today just enrages me.
Mark my words: Ontario will be California in about 6-7 years.
Judy Zik 2:26PM (7/15/2009)
This is awesome! Great way to ensure we will get these promised Electric Vehicles here in Canada. The Volt might be a bit pricey for my needs but a Focus or Prius plug in would be nice. As long as the batteries are capable of holding a charge in the winter.
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Coolio 2:29PM (7/15/2009)
Well the Volt is perfect (if a bit expensive) for me. I drive less than 40 miles per day.
No more gasoline, how'd ya like that, foreign nations that want to destroy our way of life ?? Hurts, don't it ?
Steve Lopez 2:30PM (7/15/2009)
OK. Hybrid Fusion. Great car.
How come Ford doesn't have a Hybrid Focus sedan?
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bssplayr 2:35PM (7/15/2009)
Probably because the cost of the hybrid powertrain would price the car out of its own target market.
Mike7 3:01PM (7/15/2009)
"How come Ford doesn't have a Hybrid Focus sedan?"
Judging by the picture and the text that reads, "A wide array of plug-ins are expected to arrive over the next several years, including ...Focus based EVs...", I'd say they're working on it.
Someone 2:33PM (7/15/2009)
I guess some people still don't realize that this is not free money. This money is yours and mine (if you live in Ontario in this case) being given away to buy cars...
I'm sure this government could think of something better to do with it. Then again, maybe it can't.
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warren 10:00PM (7/15/2009)
It's not free money, but it's not a total waste, either: If you have to plug your car in at home, then you will end up paying more for electricity, which is taxed. The electricity itself would also invariably be generated in Ontario, so the money stays in the Ontario economy instead of being sent off in big heaps to middle eastern countries.
MoeJoe 2:33PM (7/15/2009)
I wonder what the incentives will be for a Tesla Model S?
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Soccer Mom 2:50PM (7/15/2009)
I am happy to see Mr. McGuinty's green credentials on display. Combined with a tax harmonization initiative, which would drive people out of the city of Toronto further into suburbia, it is nice to know that those 10,000s extra miles that those who work in Toronto will have to travel each year due to the great taxation plan will be traveled in greener cars.
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XGM 3:00PM (7/15/2009)
This is great and all, but what about winter where it gets below 30C here ? So anybody interested in saving 5 grand on a Volt or any other EV?
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Bobmarley 3:39PM (7/15/2009)
Can everyone please pool your money together and send it to me so that I can buy a new hybrid? All my money goes to bills and rent and child support!... Thanks!
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Coolio 4:19PM (7/15/2009)
Yeah, and where were you guys when I was paying off my student loans ? I needed a bailout then. I'll still take one now, though.
GMUnderGround 6:45PM (7/15/2009)
NA
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