The Quebec government has quietly revised the eligibility criteria to benefit from an EV incentive under its Roulez vert program, which grants subsidies for the purchase of an electric vehicle. Option packages offered by the manufacturer must now be part of the calculation of the EV’s cost, making some vehicles ineligible for the subsidy.
This new regulation came into effect on November 10, less than two months before the subsidies are reduced.
On the Quebec government's website, it is stipulated that, “in order to determine a vehicle's eligibility for the program and the rebate amount, the price of the following components will be added to the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP): option packages offered by the manufacturer and additions related to an essential component of the vehicle, such as the powertrain or the battery, integrated directly or through software.”
The following example is cited in the documentation made public by the Quebec government:
“For a vehicle the initial MSRP of which is $64,000, to which an extended range battery or an option package from the manufacturer costing $6,000 is added, the MSRP will be deemed to be $70,000 for the purpose of determining the vehicle's eligibility.”
• Quebec Government document
That change will obviously make some previously eligible EVs ineligible. As well, Auto123 has been made aware of inconsistencies in the implementation of the new regulation, which is causing uncertainty and incomprehension among industry players, dealership employees, and consumers alike.
Not all add-ons must be calculated to determine eligibility. It is also specified that “the addition of accessories by the purchaser, such as roof racks or a trailer hitch, is not taken into account in this calculation.”
Reduction of subsidies as of January 1, 2026
The change to the eligibility criteria comes just weeks before the subsidy amount offered by the Quebec government's Roulez vert program is reduced. Starting January 1, 2026, the maximum subsidy granted for the purchase of a new electric vehicle will drop from $4,000 to 2,000. Recall that it had been reduced from $7,000 to 4,000 on January 1, 2025.
Regarding vehicles equipped with plug-in hybrid technology with a battery of 15 kWh or more, the subsidy will be reduced from $2,000 to $1,000 starting January 1.
Subsequently, starting January 1, 2027, all subsidies provided for in the Roulez vert program will be eliminated.
