B.C. offers rebates for electric buses, trucks

The British Columbia government is offering rebates of up to $50,000 to businesses, regional governments and non-profit groups buying electric passenger vehicles.

Energy Minister Bruce Ralston and Environment Minister George Heyman announced Wednesday the money would come from $2 million in additional funding to the CleanBC program.

The rebates range from $1,700 to $50,000, covering everything from electric motorcycles to cube trucks and shuttle buses.

Heyman says it's the kind of innovation that creates jobs and makes every B.C. resident proud of what's being done to diversify the economy and fight climate change.

He says transportation is a huge source of emissions and the program will help businesses switch to cleaner vehicles.

Energy Minister Bruce Ralston says B.C. has become a leader in zero-emission vehicles and is ahead of schedule in its 2030 target of reducing the use of fossil fuels.

"It's very popular here in British Columbia, very widely supported and we're making very steady progress as we head towards a low-carbon economy," Ralston says.