A week after Premier Doug Ford made his pitch on electric vehicles, Steven Del Duca used the opportunity to draw a contrast and present the Liberal approach.

The Liberal leader pledged that, if the Liberals form government following the 2022 election, they will restore incentives for Ontarians to purchase electric vehicles (EVs). That's a departure from the Progressive Conservatives, which made one of their first orders of business eliminating the incentive to purchase EVs. Under the PC government Metrolinx also ripped out EV charging stations, saying they didn't make enough money.

"Creating a new electric vehicle incentive program is a win-win for Ontario families,” said Del Duca, who has made pocketbook issues a key theme in recent campaign-style announcements. "It will advance the fight against climate change, create good-paying jobs and deliver needed pocketbook relief."

The policy would provide a rebate of up to $8,000 on the purchase or lease of EVs, and up to $1,500 on charging infrastructure. The Liberals also promised they would "expand the availability of vehicle charging stations in apartment buildings, workplaces, parking lots, city streets and all OnRoute and GO stations across the province," and do so by offering a 30 per cent subsidy for that charging infrastructure.

It follows a recent Del Duca announcement where he said the Liberals would offer a $300 rebate for Ontarians to get four winter tires.

It's also a rare return to the policies of the previous Liberal government. When the Liberals were in power Ontarians could take advantage of up to a $16,000 rebate to purchase an electric vehicle. The PCs derided the policy as a handout to elite millionaires — a line the premier has returned to in recent days as he has downplayed the possibility of revisiting subsidies for EV purchases. By contrast Del Duca, who served as transportation minister in the previous Liberal government, proudly drives an electric vehicle.

After the PCs cancelled the EV rebate in 2018, Ontario saw a drop-off in purchases for the vehicles — they fell by 55 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 compared to 2018. But the Tories have put a new emphasis behind EVs, a growing auto segment, in recent announcements. The premier placed EV manufacturing at the centre of the government's plan to reinvigorate the auto industry in the province, pitching Ontario's expertise and know-how. The goal is to produce 400,000 EVs in the province by 2030. While the government put aside some money for research and development, most of the strategy relies on boosting the province's profile to companies around the world.

Opposition parties have countered that there should be a strategy to encourage EV adoption among Ontarians from the consumer side rather than solely seeing the vehicles as goods to export.

Del Duca backs $8,000 subsidies for electric vehicles

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