Official

Ontario EV program tweak paves way for more Tesla sales

That Model S P100D probably still won't qualify.

The government of Ontario, home to Toronto and the most populous Canadian province, lifted its price cap on vehicles eligible for its $14,000 EV rebate. The move effectively clears the way for more Tesla sales north of the border.

Previously, Ontario allowed for just a $3,000 rebate for electric vehicles priced between $75,000 and $150,000, but the government has lifted that price cap, effectively making most Tesla Model S and Model X electric vehicles eligible for perks worth between $6,000 and $14,000. That perk gets wiped out for vehicles that cost more than $150,000, so those who order a fully-loaded Tesla Model S P100D are left out in the Canadian cold. And we feel for you. Check out the Ontario Ministry of Transportation list of eligible vehicles here.

Ontario is home to more than 13 million people, putting the population of the province on par with Illinois and Pennsylvania when it comes to US states. With Ontario loosening up its EV incentive a bit, 2017 may well be a better year than the record-setting 2016 in terms of electric vehicles, especially as Chevrolet Bolt EVs start making their way through the Detroit Windsor Tunnel and into Canada. Last year, Canadian's bought more than 20,000 plug-in vehicles. By comparison, Americans bought about 130,000, so given that Canada's population is about one-tenth of the US's, that's a pretty solid turnout that's bound to get better.

Tesla doesn't publish country-by-country sales totals, but the Model S was Canada's best-selling plug-in vehicle during the first quarter of last year, moving about 500 units during 2016's first three months.

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