Suspension of the Roulez vert program: this will also be the end of the subsidy for charging stations in February

New owners of an electric vehicle, hurry up and buy a charging station! The $600 subsidy for the purchase of a home charging system will also be suspended next February. Quebec no longer has money in its Roulez vert program due to the explosion in demand for the purchase of electric vehicles.

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On Monday, our Parliamentary Office revealed that the Ministry of the Environment was going to “temporarily” suspend the granting of subsidies for the purchase of green vehicles, from February 2025. The 2024-2025 budget envelope is empty. Since July, 34.6% of new vehicles sold have been electric.

Those who want to buy an electric vehicle next winter will not be entitled to the Quebec subsidy. According to our information, the Ministry of the Environment hopes to resume the program in April 2025, after the next budget and the addition of budgetary appropriations.

The Roulez vert program subsidy of $7,000 will be reduced to $4,000 in January, then to $2,000 in 2026 before disappearing the following year. The Ministry of Finance believes that the electric vehicle market is about to reach maturity. With the growth in EV sales, it is a question of “big money” for the State, maintains the Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette. The only subsidy that was to resist the ax in 2027 is the granting of $600 in aid for the purchase of electrical terminals.

However, this financial assistance will also be temporarily suspended next year, we learned. The $50,000 grant to install electrical terminals in multi-unit buildings is also affected.

“No more terminals”

However, during the last budget, the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, argued that the government absolutely had to invest in its charging network.

“We are arriving at a time when we need more terminals to encourage the use of electric vehicles,” said the minister.

Its budget document indicates that “the government will continue to invest in the electrification of transportation by targeting, in particular, the measures of the Quebec Strategy on electric vehicle charging, such as rebates for charging stations.”

Currently, Hydro-Québec’s electrical circuit has more than 6,500 charging stations in service, which includes more than 1,000 fast terminals.

By 2035, Quebec is targeting 100,000 level 2 charging stations and 6,700 fast charging stations, distributed between public facilities and private companies. These are terminals that must be accessible to everyone. The Legault government will invest $500 million to complete its network. The number one objective remains to focus on the installation of charging stations at home to facilitate access for individuals.

Decision criticized

The Corporation of Quebec Automobile Dealers (CCAQ) is very concerned by this decision to suspend the Roulez vert program. According to the organization, the unilateral suspension of the Roulez vert program casts a veil of uncertainty over the Quebec market and compromises the predictability necessary for

actors in the sector. Thus, she asks the government to also suspend the penalties planned for 2025 which will affect automobile manufacturers.

With its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standard, Quebec is forcing car manufacturers to offer more electric models and to reach certain sales percentages. Each year, this percentage will increase and must, for example, reach 45% in 2027 and 85% in 2030.

“The decision to suspend the Roulez vert program, without transitional measures, endangers the stability of the market and creates regrettable uncertainty for our entire industry. We ask the government to review its position regarding the penalties planned for 2025, so as not to break the momentum that we have collectively built for Quebec’s energy future,” noted Ian P. Sam Yue Chi, CEO of the CCAQ. .