By Blair Qualey

The New Car Dealers Association of BC (NCDA) hosted its annual EV Day at the Legislature this month to celebrate the progress of zero emission vehicle adoption in British Columbia – and there is a great story to tell. It was our pleasure to have the Hon. Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation on hand to mark the occasion and highlight some very impressive numbers:

• Last year, zero-emission vehicles represented more than 18 per cent of new light-duty passenger vehicles – the highest percentage of any province.
• In 2022, 30,000 zero emission vehicles were purchased in B.C.
• The number of registered light-duty ZEVs has increased from 5,000 in 2016 to more than 100,000 today – a 1,900 per cent increase.

There are key reasons for this level of success, but it starts with the partnership and collaboration between our sector and the provincial government. The NCDA represents more than 400 franchised new car and truck dealers in 55 communities throughout the province – and we are proud to administer the on behalf of the provincial government since its inception in 2011.

Of course, simply having vehicles available is not enough to achieve zero-emission targets. A continued commitment to enhancing consumer incentives, ongoing investments in charging stations, consumer education and creating an electric vehicle battery supply chain are all key.

Other highlights of EV Day at the Leg included a sampling of the latest range of hybrid to full electric vehicles on display, including a first-ever electric pick-up truck on display. We also honoured Vancouver Island recipients of the Green Star Dealer Awards for their outstanding work in the top sales of clean energy vehicles. By region, the complete list of Green Star Award recipients for Battery Electric Vehicle Sales (BEV) and Plug-in Electric Hybrid Sales (PHEV) for 2022 sales are:

• Top BEV Sales – Vancouver Island: Victoria Hyundai
• Top PHEV Sales – Vancouver Island: Jim Pattison Toyota Victoria
• Top BEV Sales – Lower Mainland: OpenRoad Richmond Hyundai
• Top PHEV Sales - Lower Mainland: OpenRoad Toyota Richmond
• Top BEV Sales – Interior: Kelowna Hyundai
• Top PHEV Sales – Interior: Orchard Ford Sales Ltd., Kelowna
• Top BEV Sales – North: Northland Hyundai, Prince George
• Top PHEV Sales – North: Prince George Ford
• Most Improved Dealership BEV Sales: Richmond Kia
• Most Improved Dealership PHEV Sales: Orchard Ford Sales, Kelowna

Our dealers in many respects continue to be the face of the CleanBC Go Electric Rebate Program. They actively interface with consumers to help them find the vehicle that best meets their needs and lifestyle, while also educating them about the latest innovation – while playing an active role in helping create a cleaner, greener future for British Columbia through their community investments.

Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at bqualey@newcardealers.ca