When the federal iZEV program came to a sudden and full stop in January, shockwaves rippled through the industry. The funds feeding the program ran out faster than expected, officials said. The move left those hoping for a discount of up to $5,000 on purchase of an EV in the lurch – not to mention dealers with stock of EVs that would now be harder to move.
Both manufacturers and dealers had been counting on the rebate to sell off EVs on dealer lots, especially since it was known that the program would probably run out of resources in the spring of 2025. Dealers upped their inventories to meet higher demand while the incentive remained in place.
Note that those buyers making a purchase of an EV while the incentives program was in place were out of luck if their vehicle was delivered after the program’s sudden end.
As a result, some manufacturers have stepped up to offer the $5,000 discount on their own for the month of January, in order to support not only their dealers, but also the customers who had placed their trust in them.
Today, Nissan Canada announced it’s extending the $5,000 rebate for the entire month of February.
“At Nissan, our customers are our top priority, and we are dedicated to providing the best possible support and solutions to them. We believe that the sudden Federal government's decision to suspend the iZEV rebate Federal program is unfair to valued customers who were in the process of purchasing an electric vehicle.
To support our Ariya customers, we will continue extending our equivalent rebate ($5,000 CAD after-tax) on all Ariya models at all our Canadian dealerships during the month of February for those who would be affected by this sudden change.”
- Nissan Canada
We'll see if other manufacturers announce similar measures for the current month.
