Sales of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in Canada totaled more than 12,600 in February, up by 47pc from a year earlier after the start of federal incentives, according to Statistics Canada.
ZEVs are motor vehicles that are able to run without producing tailpipe emissions, and include battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
New ZEVs accounted for 10pc of total new motor vehicle sales in February, compared with 7pc in the same month a year earlier, the data show.
Canada launched the federal Electric Vehicle Affordability Programme (EVAP) on 16 February, providing consumers with incentives to buy or lease affordable EVs with a final price of C$50,000 ($36,570) or less.
Battery and fuel-cell EVs qualify for incentives of up to C$5,000, while plug-in hybrid EVs qualify for up to C$2,500.
The EVAP programme received C$2.3bn in funding over five years. Eligible EVs must be made in Canada or in countries with free trade agreements with Canada to qualify.
