After winning a court battle earlier this week, Tesla will now be included in the two-month wind-down process of the Ontario Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Incentive Program. Ontario Minister of Transportation John Yakabuski made the announcement earlier today.
When the program ended suddenly in July, vehicles that were already on dealer lots or on order from a dealership would still qualify for the up-to-$14,000 incentive, as long as they were delivered by September 10th. The exception was for cars ordered directly from the manufacturer. Since all Tesla orders are direct to the manufacturer, not through a franchised dealer, any customers who had a qualifying Tesla on order were left without the incentive.
The decision by the Ontario Superior Court earlier this week said that the move to exclude Tesla wasn't fair. The government said that it would look into the ruling and would decide how to proceed.
They've made that decision. Earlier today, Yakabuski issued a statement reading that the ministry would abide by the court's decision and is expanding the wind-down process to include all vehicles that were eligible for the program. Not just those ordered from franchised dealers.
The details are the same, though. The vehicles had to be on the lot or on order before July 11th; and they have to be delivered, registered, and plated before September 10th.
Tesla said that it had 600 orders on the books when the program end was announced in July, with 34 unallocated vehicles on lots and 319 in transit, all of which could qualify for the incentives. In the lawsuit, Tesla claimed that 175 customers had cancelled their orders since it was announced that Tesla orders wouldn't qualify.
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