Car Manufacturer Nissan is attempting to deliver more affordable electric vehicles to Canada. Citizens of our northern neighbor, specifically Quebec, can now purchase pre-owned Nissan Leafs and still be eligible for government incentive programs. Canadians would receive a $4,000 break for entering the electric vehicle market. This is made possible by Quebec’s Drive Electric Program.
Limitations on this incentive include purchasing a car from outside of the province and being from the model year of 2014 or 2015. Regardless, this marks a new era of car buying in Canada; previously, potential buyers had to purchase a new electric vehicle in order to be eligible for the incentive. This left many a frugal car buyer questioning whether making the leap was economically feasible.
The government of Quebec hopes to meet a goal of 100,000 electric and plug in hybrid vehicles on their roads by the year 2020. Nissan has continued its partnership with the Canadian province, which includes infrastructural development. President of Nissan Canada Joni Paiva states, “The Nissan LEAF Qualified Pre-Owned Program is another demonstration of Nissan’s pledge to create intelligent mobility solutions, by broadening the accessibility and practicality of electric vehicles.”
The used car program also allows Canadians to purchase Nissan Leafs from the United States, as long as these vehicles are retrofitted to meet road standards in the country. Quebec car dealers will have to change the dashboard units to metric and updating components such as the headlights to convert them to daytime running lights.
The Canadian government partnered with Nissan recognizes that in order to introduce more eco-friendly vehicles onto their roads, citizens need to have an economic interest. Purchasing a brand new car of any kind is a task not all people can afford, and this program promises to facilitate future growth in this area.
