Manitoba dealerships notice change with EV rebate program

Dealerships in Winnipeg are seeing an uptick in people rolling in to know more about electric vehicles after the Manitoba government launched its EV rebates program at the beginning of July.

“At the beginning of July, more and more dealers actually have EVs on their lot. You can get one right away without waiting for a year or two,” explained James Hart, the president of the Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association.

Manitobans can get a $4,000 rebate on new EVs while a $2,500 rebate on used EVs purchased on or after August 1, 2023.

“A lot of manufacturers are coming up with their own electric vehicles, which is part of why the market is dropping. Everyone is trying to stay competitive,” said Sam Kornachuk, a sales representative and EV specialist at Nott Autocorp.

Manitoba’s largest auto network, Birchwood Automotive Group, is also seeing an increase in the number of people interested in EVs.

“We’ve seen a massive uptick compared to what we were looking at previously. They’re [car makers] making more affordable EVs which has helped but when you add the provincial and federal rebates now, we are getting into an aggressive price point that is more affordable for more customers,” said Derek Witty, vice president of operations at Birchwood Automotive Group.

But while interest in EVs may be rising in the province, charging infrastructure is not growing as fast.

“We have members up north that it is a major struggle for them especially going up to Thompson,” said Hart.

But for more urban drivers, experts say consumers just might need a bit more information to get over any anxiety related to purchasing an EV.

“More education for the public, in terms of electric vehicles and how they operate and what all the tremendous advantages are with electric vehicles,” explained Tim Burrows, the interim president of the Electric Vehicle Society.

It’s why some dealerships are offering free test drives of EVs for anyone interested in them.

“Let’s say when they come down here, they are kind of wary about kilometre range and how it works in the winter, now we give you that peace of mind,” said Reggie Merluza, the sales manager at Jim Gauthier Chevrolet.

For those looking to take advantage of the rebates, they have to apply through Manitoba Public Insurance.

“It’s looking at around a 60-day wait to get that. Those that think they could get it right away it’s going to be a little bit of a wait right now because of the backlog,” explained Hart.