The Manitoba government will begin offering an EV discount of up to $4,000 on purchase of an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle.In early October, the New Democratic Party won the Manitoba election, bringing a First Nations representative to the helm of the province for the first time.

　　The new NDP government will present its first budget this week, and a few details of what it will contain have already leaked out.

　　One of them concerns the automotive industry, more electric vehicles (and plug-in hybrids). Car buyers will be entitled to a discount of up to $4,000 on purchase of an EV.

　　Manitoba thus becomes the seventh province to offer a rebate on purchase of an electric vehicle, after British Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Thats not counting Ontario, which once offered an electric discount before killing the program.

　　Terms and conditions of the program are yet to be spelled out, including the selling price at which EVs will qualify. We can expect this to be in line with the rules of the federal government, which has set its price at $65,000.

　　A $2,500 discount will also be offered on the purchase of a used electrified vehicle (electric, plug-in hybrid).

　　The measure comes as no surprise, given that the NDP had made it a campaign promise in the fall.

　　The total cost of this program to the province is estimated at $7 million CAD annually.

　　The infrastructure will need to follow

　　To this will undoubtedly have to be added amounts for the development of a charging network across the territory. Without infrastructure, its harder to sell the idea of an electric vehicle.

　　According to Natural Resources Canada, there are currently 162 public charging stations in Manitoba, including Level 2 and DC charging stations. Most of these are located along highways and in urban areas. Rural and remote areas are less well endowed with charging stations.

　　A number of other measures will be announced in this budget, including one that concerns owners of gasoline-powered vehicles. The government plans to extend for a few months a break from the gas tax of 14 cents per litre of gasoline.

　　Further details on the electric vehicle measure will be announced tomorrow, Tuesday. We will provide an update at that time.