Top 10 Electrified Vehicle Deals, Summer 2019

Consumers interested in purchasing a fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle received some good news earlier this year. The federal government established an incentive program, while two provinces—Quebec and British Columbia—still have their own rebate programs.

In Quebec, the provincial government is handing out rebates of up to $8,000 (after taxes) towards the purchase or lease of a fully electric vehicle and for a few PHEVs that have a large battery back. The rest of the plug-in hybrids get a maximum rebate of $4,000. In British Columbia, the government offers a rebate of up to $5,000 (before taxes) for EVs and some PHEVs, while the rest of the electrified market gets a $2,500 incentive. Now, Canada is giving back up to $5,000 (after taxes).

In short, with these very interesting rebates—let’s put aside the debate on whether this taxpayer’s money is well spent or not—as well as more and more models on the market, what deals can be found? Here’s a Top 10 of EV and PHEV dealers for the summer of 2019.

We must point out though that dealer inventory of electrified vehicles might not be very substantial at the moment, so it might take a while for an ordered vehicle to arrive.

2019 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
Obviously, the Clarity’s design is polarizing. However, for those who aren’t afraid to justify their purchase every time someone says “wow, why did you buy such an ugly car?” will benefit from a very comfortable, well-equipped and especially very efficient midsize sedan. Its powertrain consists of an electric motor, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine and a single-speed transmission, producing a combined 212 horsepower. The size of its battery allows it to receive a full $13,000 rebate.

Base MSRP: $40,100
Combined rebate: $13,000 (Quebec), $10,000 (BC), $5,000 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 2.1 Le/100 km
Fuel consumption without fully electric driving (combined city/highway): 5.6 L/100 km
Electric driving range: 77 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 2.5 hours

2019 Hyundai IONIQ
Aside from an interesting hybrid version, the IONIQ is also available in plug-in hybrid and fully electric variants, which both benefit from government rebates. The IONIQ electric plus is equipped with an electric motor and a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, which produce a total of 164 horsepower. The IONIQ electric gets a 118-horsepower electric system that delivers 218 pound-feet of torque.

IONIQ electric plus (PHEV)
Base MSRP: $32,299
Combined rebate: $6,500 (Quebec), $5,000 (BC), $2,500 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 2.0 Le/100 km
Fuel consumption without fully electric driving (combined city/highway): 4.5 L/100 km
Electric driving range: 47 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 2.3 hours

IONIQ electric
Base MSRP: $37,899
Combined rebate: $13,000 (Quebec), $10,000 (BC), $5,000 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 1.7 Le/100 km
Electric driving range: 200 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 4.5 hours

2019 Nissan LEAF
Of course, the new LEAF PLUS and its 62-kWh battery pack provides greater driving range, but many consumers can make do nicely with the base LEAF and its 40-kWh battery. It boasts a lower price and with applicable rebates, this version of Nissan’s fully electric compact is mighty interesting.

Base MSRP: $41,698
Combined rebate: $13,000 (Quebec), $10,000 (BC), $5,000 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 2.1 Le/100 km
Electric driving range: 243 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 8 hours

2019 Ford Fusion Energi
It’s getting old, but the Energi plug-in hybrid version of the midsize sedan still has a lot to offer and its price has been adjusted accordingly. Its hybrid system is composed of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that produce a combined 188 horsepower.

Base MSRP: $36,590
Combined rebate: $6,500 (Quebec), $5,000 (BC), $2,500 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 2.3 Le/100 km
Fuel consumption without fully electric driving (combined city/highway): 5.6 L/100 km
Electric driving range: 42 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 2.6 hours

2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Mitsubishi’s compact SUV has the advantage of being the only one on our market to offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive… for now. Generating about 200 horsepower, this hybrid system has several modes to optimise efficiency while driving electric.

Base MSRP: $43,798
Combined rebate: $6,500 (Quebec), $5,000 (BC), $2,500 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 3.2 Le/100 km
Fuel consumption without fully electric driving (combined city/highway): 9.2 L/100 km
Electric driving range: 35 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 3.5 hours

2019 Toyota Prius Prime
Toyota’s little four-passenger car boasts a mighty efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain, which produces a combined 121 horsepower.

Base MSRP: $32,990
Combined rebate: $6,500 (Quebec), $5,000 (BC), $2,500 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 1.8 Le/100 km
Fuel consumption without fully electric driving (combined city/highway): 4.3 L/100 km
Electric driving range: 40 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 2 hours

2019 Kia Niro EV
This subcompact crossover is equipped with the same powertrain as the Hyundai Kona EV, which produces 201 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque. Its great driving range will interest consumers that don’t want to deal with range anxiety, but need something more spacious than the Kona. The 2020 Kia Soul, also available as an EV, will arrive a little later, but should retail from $42,595.

Base MSRP: $44,995
Combined rebate: $13,000 (Quebec), $10,000 (BC), $5,000 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 2.1 Le/100 km
Electric driving range: 385 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 9.5 hours

2019 Volkswagen e-Golf
What makes the e-Golf so great is that it’s just as fun to drive as the regular Golf, and its cargo area is barely affected by the battery pack. Its powertrain produces 134 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque.

Base MSRP: $36,720
Combined rebate: $13,000 (Quebec), $10,000 (BC), $5,000 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 2.0 Le/100 km
Electric driving range: 201 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 5.3 hours

2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Only plug-in hybrid minivan on the market, the Pacifica is the most fuel-efficient model is its class—by far. Its powertrain consists of a 3.6-litre V6 and an electronically controlled automatic transmission that integrates two electric motors. Total output is rated at 260 horsepower. And thanks to its big battery, it benefits from EV-level rebates.

Base MSRP: $51,995
Combined rebate: $13,000 (Quebec), $10,000 (BC), $5,000 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 2.9 Le/100 km
Fuel consumption without fully electric driving (combined city/highway): 8.0 L/100 km
Electric driving range: 51 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 2 hours

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Production of the Chevrolet Volt has ended, and there are only a few units left in dealerships, but we must act soon before they’ll all gone. Otherwise, at GM, we can check out the Bolt EV, a fully electric compact-sized hatchback that relies on a powertrain generating 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque.

Base MSRP: $44,800
Combined rebate: $13,000 (Quebec), $10,000 (BC), $5,000 (rest of Canada)
Fuel consumption equivalent: 2.0 Le/100 km
Electric driving range: 383 km
Recharge time with level-2 charger: 9.3 hours