Buying an EV in 2026? The rebate, the deadline, and your home charger
Canada’s EV rebate is back, and it has a deadline built in. The Electric Vehicle Affordability Program (EVAP), which replaced the old iZEV rebate, pays up to $5,000 toward a new battery-electric vehicle in 2026, and up to $2,500 toward a plug-in hybrid. On January 1, 2027, the maximum drops to $4,000.
How much is the EV rebate? Up to $5,000 for a battery-electric or fuel-cell vehicle, $2,500 for a plug-in hybrid, in 2026.
Who qualifies? The vehicle’s final transaction value must be $50,000 or less (Canadian-built EVs have no cap), and each person can claim one EVAP rebate.
How do you claim it? You don’t apply yourself. The dealership submits the claim to Transport Canada and applies the rebate to your purchase or lease at the point of sale.
Is there a rebate for the home charger? No. EVAP covers the vehicle only, and Ontario has no provincial home charger rebate in 2026.
Which leaves the part most buyers think about last: charging at home. A Level 2 home charger installation is what makes an EV easy to live with, and it is worth pricing before the car arrives. In Toronto and Etobicoke, 3e installs home EV chargers for $1,599 to $2,299+, starting with a load calculation to confirm your electrical panel can handle the charger, whether it is a 100A panel or a 200A panel. That calculation is part of hiring a licensed electrical contractor — it is what separates a safe install from a hopeful one.
Federal EV incentive deadline
The $5,000 federal EV incentive drops to $4,000 on January 1, 2027
Buying an electric vehicle this year? Canada’s Electric Vehicle Affordability Program pays up to $5,000 toward an eligible new EV in 2026. On January 1, 2027, that maximum falls to $4,000.
The incentive covers the vehicle only. It does not pay for a home charger or its installation, and Ontario has no provincial home charger rebate in 2026.
Taking delivery before year end? Book your home charging installation ahead of the delivery date. 3e installs home EV chargers across Toronto and Etobicoke, including the Kingsway, Humber Valley, Bloor West Village and Forest Hill, $1,599 to $2,299+, and late-year dates fill quickly.
Source: Transport Canada — Electric Vehicle Affordability Program
EV incentive questions, answered
When does the $5,000 federal EV incentive end?
The maximum drops to $4,000 on January 1, 2027 under Canada’s Electric Vehicle Affordability Program, and continues down to $3,000 in 2028. The amount you receive depends on when your dealership submits the eligibility assessment.
How do I claim the $5,000 EV rebate in Canada?
You cannot apply on your own. Your dealership checks your eligibility with Transport Canada, you sign a consent form, and the rebate comes off your purchase or lease price at the point of sale. The vehicle’s final transaction value must be $50,000 or less, unless it is built in Canada.
Does the federal EV incentive pay for a home charger or installation?
No. The incentive applies to the vehicle purchase or lease only. It does not cover a home charger, the electrical work, or the installation.
Is there an Ontario rebate for home EV chargers?
No. Ontario has no provincial home charger rebate in 2026, so the full cost of the charger and installation is the homeowner’s. A Level 2 home charger installation in Toronto and Etobicoke runs $1,599 to $2,299+ with 3e.
How much does it cost to install a Level 2 home charger?
With 3e, home EV charger installations in Toronto and Etobicoke run $1,599 to $2,299+. The exact price depends on the distance from your electrical panel to the charger and whether your panel has capacity. Every quote starts with a load calculation, which is how we confirm a 100A panel can safely run a charger or whether a panel upgrade makes more sense. As an electrical contractor, 3e quotes the whole job — circuit, permit and inspection — not just the charger on the wall.
Should I book my charger installation before I take delivery of the car?
Yes. Booking ahead means the charger is ready the day the car comes home, and install dates fill quickly late in the year as buyers move before the January 1 incentive drop.
