FAQ

If you have any questions about Electric Vehicles, Plug’nDrive Ontario or anything else related please feel free to contact us or email info@plugndriveontario.ca

 

  • Q: What are the different kinds of electric vehicles? 
  • A: An electric vehicle is one which uses electric motors for propulsion, the differences lie in how the energy is stored to ‘fuel’ the motors.


    A battery electric vehicle (BEV) runs entirely on a battery and electric drive train, without the support of a traditional internal combustion engine and must be plugged into an external source of electricity to recharge its battery.


    Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) runs on a battery and electric drive train but also has the support of an internal combustion engine that may be used to recharge the vehicle’s battery and/or to replace the electric drive train when the battery is low and more power is required.


    Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) on the road today can have two complementary drive systems: a gasoline engine and fuel tank; and an electric motor, battery and controls. Both the engine and the electric motor can turn the transmission at the same time, and the transmission then turns the wheels. HEVs cannot be recharged from the electricity grid – all their energy comes from gasoline.

  • Q: Can I charge my vehicle at home or at work?
  • A: Yes, provided that the electrical system in the home or workplace has sufficient capacity to supply the vehicle at the voltage and rate of recharging that it requires. A small vehicle may only require a conventional 120 volt outlet, already available in most home garages. Larger vehicles may need a 220 volt outlet (like those used for home clothes dryers) with adequate amperage rating.Electric vehicle re-charging standards are currently being developed by industry and the relevant professional standards associations. Ontario’s Building Code and Electrical Safety Code already provide for the safe integration of EV recharging capacity in homes and other buildings on a voluntary basis.
  • Q: Are Electric Vehicles Safe?
  • A: All electric vehicle manufacturers must meet stringent federal safety standards. In apition, manufacturers have a strong incentive to produce safe and reliable vehicles, as their reputation and the future viability of the electric vehicle industry depend on the quality of the cars they produce. Manufacturers have spent years developing the new technologies that make these vehicles possible.
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  • Q: How are EVs more environmentall friendly than other vehicles?
  • A:Because EVs do not use fossil-fuels to power their engines and instead rely on clean electricity from Ontario’s electricity system, there are significant reductions in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the atmosphere. CO2 has significantly impacted our environment.

    When a litre of gasoline is burnt in an internal combustion engine it emits 2.3kg of CO2 into the atmosphere, regardless of your make, model or state of repair. For example, if it takes 7 litres of fuel to drive 100km in your car, that trip would emit 16kg of CO2.

    In an EV however, the only CO2 emitted is from the generation of electricity and in Ontario we have a very clean energy mix, meaning a 100km trip would only emit 1.7kg of CO2.

    The average car drives 20,000 km over the course of a year. In this time a gasoline powered car would emit more than 3,200 kg of into the air – while the EV would emit just 340kg. In ten years that gas car will have emitted 32,000kg of CO2 and the EV, just 3,400kg – most likely less as the electricity system gets cleaner and cleaner.

  • Q: Which cars are eligible for Ontario’s Electric Vehicle Incentive Program?
  • A: The Ministry of Transportation should be your main source of information, please visit their website for the latest information.
  • Eligible Vehicles:

  • The Electric Vehicle Incentive Program applies to new, highway-capable PHEVs andBEVs purchased or leased on or after July 1, 2010. The value of the incentive is based on the vehicle’s battery capacity and, if applicable the lease term, and ranges from $5,000 for a 4 kWh battery to $8,500 for a battery of 17kWh or more.
    New BEVs and PHEVs purchased or leased outside of Ontario and imported into the province by the original purchaser/lessee are eligible for the program provided they meet all the criteria, were not registered or plated in the originating jurisdiction and were not the recipient of incentives from those jurisdictions.
    Demonstrator vehicles (demos) are eligible under the program provided that, at the time of purchase, the vehicle’s mileage does not exceed 500 km and it has not been previously registered.   Please consult the official list of vehicles that currently qualify for the incentive program.


  • Ineligible Vehicles:

  • Conventional hybrids, that run on a combination of a standard internal combustion engine and battery electric technology but are not capable of being recharged by plugging into the electricity grid, are not eligible for the incentive.Vehicles that are converted to plug-in electric capability are not eligible for the incentive.

    Previously owned (i.e., ‘used’ 2010 or later model year) plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are not eligible for the incentive but can apply for a green plate.
    Low-speed electric vehicles, off-road vehicles, plug-in electric vehicle conversions, electric motorcycles, electric bikes (“e-bikes”), and vehicles with fewer than four wheels are not eligible for the incentive. BEVs and PHEVs for which applicants intend to apply for, or have already received incentives/grants from other Canadian provinces, or US federal or US state governments are not eligible for the incentive.