Deliveries of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles eligible for federal incentives under the Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program in Canada reached an all-time monthly high in March, as reported by Statistics Canada.
The total deliveries across all brands stood at 9,794, exceeding the combined totals of January and February, reports Automotive News.
The statistics show that Tesla led the pack with 2,695 eligible deliveries in March, following a significant pricing cut on January 12 that made their Model 3 eligible for the iZEV program.
Hyundai and Chevrolet trailed behind with 1,239 and 1,187 qualifying shipments, respectively.
The iZEV program offers a $5,000 rebate for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) with an electric range greater than 49 kilometers. PHEVs with less electric range qualify for a $2,500 rebate.
Among the top five battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), following Tesla’s Model 3, was the Chevrolet Bolt EUV, which posted 975 eligible deliveries in March. Hyundai’s Kona and Ioniq 5 ranked third and fourth, with 614 and 504 qualifying deliveries, respectively. The Volkswagen ID4 rounded out the top five with 454 eligible deliveries.
In the plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) segment, Mitsubishi Outlander continued to lead, shipping 809 eligible models in March, bringing the 2023 tally to 1,911. Following closely was Toyota Rav4 PHEV, which delivered 618 qualifying units in March and has shipped 916 since the start of the year.
Despite the record-setting month, the provincial distribution of qualifying deliveries remained largely unchanged, with Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario accounting for 94% of all qualifying deliveries. It’s worth noting Ontario doesn’t have any provincial incentives as they were axed by the Ford government.
Canada should see an uptick in iZEV rebates, with the recent introduction of the Model Y RWD, making the compact crossover eligible for the federal rebate and select provincial rebates.