Hyundai closed out 2022 as the highest-volume brand under the federal Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program, eclipsing longtime leader Tesla, which had taken the top spot in each of the previous three years since the program launched in 2019.
Hyundai ended 2022 with most federal iZEV rebates, eclipsing longtime leader Tesla
Hyundai sold 12,777 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that qualified for federal rebates of up to $5,000
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IZEV PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
The iZEV program provides a $5,000 rebate for BEVs, as well as PHEVs with electric range greater than 49 kilometres. PHEVs with less electric range qualify for $2,500.
The same eligibility criteria applies to both categories. Zero-emission passenger cars starting at less than $55,000, and higher-cost variants up to $65,000 qualify for the incentives. Larger vehicles such as pickups, minivans and SUVs must have a base price of less than $60,000, and higher-cost variants must start at less than $70,000. Higher-cost trim levels are not eligible.
The Korean automaker sold 12,777 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that qualified for rebates from Ottawa over the 12-month stretch, with the Kona and Ioniq 5 making up the bulk of those deliveries, according to data from Transport Canada.
Tesla finished 2022 in second place with 10,944 eligible deliveries. It slipped out of contention late in the year as qualifying monthly shipments of its Model 3 fell to low double digits.
No new orders of any of the U.S. EV maker’s vehicles qualified for the iZEV program throughout 2022, after a November 2021 price increase for its Model 3 disqualified the sedan from the program. Tesla has been working through its backlog of orders for more than a year, but by December, eligible deliveries of the Model 3 tallied only 15.
Chevrolet came in a distant third, delivering 5,718 vehicles that received iZEV incentives in 2022.
Despite new Tesla orders not qualifying for the iZEV program in 2022, the Model 3 remained Canada’s most incentivized vehicle last year. The company shipped nearly 11,000 eligible sedans to Canadian customers, all of them ordered in 2021.
As 2023 gets under way, the Model 3 is poised to requalify for iZEV rebates. Tesla reduced the price of its lowest-cost model to $54,990 from $61,980 Jan. 13, putting it just below the threshold for eligibility.
Hyundai’s Kona and Ioniq 5 placed second and third among eligible BEVs, with 5,361 and 4,812 deliveries, respectively.
The two versions of the Chevrolet Bolt round out the top five BEV models for 2022, with qualifying EUV deliveries totaling 3,198, and Bolt hatchback shipments tallying 2,520.
In the PHEV segment, the Ford Escape kept its nose ahead with 2,939 eligible deliveries through 2022, edging its closest competitors by several hundred units.
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which qualified for the iZEV program in April, came second. The Stellantis brand delivered 2,629 of the electrified Wranglers eligible for the program last year.
Toyota’s Prius Prime, Chrysler’s Pacifica and Mitsubishi’s Outlander occupy the next three positions, with eligible deliveries of each respectively tallying 2,595, 1,984 and 1,591.
Ottawa handed out roughly $262 million in iZEV rebates in 2022. The incentives went toward Canadian purchases of 39,142 BEVs, 18,864 PHEVs, and 10 fuel cell-electrics, according to data from Transport Canada.
Quebec accounted for more than half of all eligible deliveries in 2022, with 30,533 qualifying vehicles finding their way to the province over the 12-month period. British Columbia and Ontario placed second and third, with 13,619 and 10,109 eligible deliveries, respectively.
