The need to incentivize the…

The need to incentivize the adoption of EVs is vitally important. I believe that the Ontario Provincial Government in conjunction with the Federal Government need to eliminate the HST on the purchase of EVs, specifically "Battery Electric Vehicles". This should be in addition to the incentive that is in place at the present time. Due to the inherently higher purchase price of these cars and usually the less than ideal financing options, the low numbers that they are presently produced in and the perception that they are less convenient to operate, creates an environment that discourages many people from making this type of purchase. Economics will drive the adoption of EV's not the consumers desire to limit the environmental damage caused by ICE vehicles. Ultimately, consumers make decisions based on the affordability of a purchase. Education on the lower operating costs of EVs also needs to be emphasized. Our children need to be educated on the benefits of adopting EV technology.

The focus should be on BEV's because for one, the infrastructure already exists in the form of the existing power grid, the cost of building charging stations is not prohibitive and it is safe to use. Battery technology is maturing and continually improving, the cost of battery production can only decrease with mass production when the economies of scale are at play. In other words without mass production the cost of batteries will always be high and without that initial push in the form of incentives the mass adoption of EVs will not materialize in a timeframe that will bring about real change.

I think that if Canada wants to meet its commitments with the Paris Accord, we need to make some bold decisions and act on them, if we want to have any meaniful impact on climate change. Ontario could be a leader not only in North America, we could also be a world leader if we have the courage to do the right thing. This is a dangerous experiment we are conducting with our one and only breathable atmosphere, we need to act now.

[Original Comment ID: 196204]