Your EV rebate might be gone but your taxi is coming
Good morning from the Atlantic — three provinces, five communities, and the stories that cross every border. Now look, I was ready to talk about the Confederation Bridge's big resurfacing, or even the Greens taking a run at the provincial government over program cuts. But honestly, what’s happening with electric vehicles here on the Island is some shocking, and it’s got a lot of people talking from Brighton all the way out to Sherwood.
The province, bless its heart, just hit the brakes on the Electric Vehicle Incentive Program. Poof, gone, as of April 15th. They're blaming the budget, which is apparently in a deeper hole than a potato storage shed in January. My question, and the question on every Islander's mind, is what in the good blazes are we going to do with all those EVs that people ordered, expecting a nice little rebate? Are they just going to sit in dealerships along the Malpeque Road, gathering dust? This isn't just about a few cars; it's about a provincial push that suddenly reversed course, leaving folks in the lurch.
* **What was the incentive?** Up to $5,000 for new EVs, and $2,500 for used. * **Why the pause?** The province is looking at a record deficit, and apparently, EV rebates were an easy cut. * **Who's affected?** Anyone who was planning to buy an EV and counting on that rebate to make it affordable. Dealerships too, sitting on inventory.
It’s a peculiar twist, especially when you think about Charlottetown's ambition to be a greener city. One minute we're encouraging everyone to ditch the gas guzzlers and the next, we're pulling the rug out. It feels like we're always taking one step forward and two steps back sometimes, doesn't it? Meanwhile, though, the province *is* rolling out a pilot project for a wheelchair-accessible taxi service in Charlottetown and the surrounding areas, which is a big deal for folks trying to get around our historic streets. So, one door closes, but at least another one opens, making it a bit easier for some Islanders to access the city they call home.
Bridget Chicken-MacPhail, MiTL Sports Desk, Charlottetown.
My cousin Fiona and the gang on "The Morning Tide" are diving into this — catch their take live at mornings.live.