Electric trucks are on BC roads, and the province is paying toward new ones again. But the picture has changed a lot since 2025: one federal program has closed, a new BC program has opened, and the rules that were meant to force the switch have been softened or dropped.
This guide sets out what’s true as of October 5, 2026, from government sources only: which incentives are open, what charging, weight and range mean for a heavy truck, and a quick way to test whether electric or hybrid fits your routes. If the answer for now is diesel, our used trucks for sale are listed with their full specs.
Where electric trucks stand today
Electric trucks are still a small slice of the market. Transport Canada reports that in 2024, medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles were 1.4% of the market in Canada.2 On BC’s roads, Statistics Canada counted 54,150 registered Class 8 vehicles in 2025, of which 52,474 ran on diesel; its count of battery-electric Class 8 vehicles isn’t published.10
54,150
Class 8 vehicles registered in BC in 2025
96.9%
of them diesel (52,474)
814
battery-electric vehicles of 4,536 to 11,793 kg in BC, up from 164 in 2024
The words matter when you read a program’s rules. A battery-electric truck runs on batteries charged from the grid; a hydrogen fuel cell truck makes its electricity on board from hydrogen; a plug-in hybrid or extended-range electric truck has a battery you charge plus an engine; and a conventional hybrid has a battery that only the engine and braking charge. BC’s rebate treats each one differently.4
Incentives: what’s open and what’s closed
The biggest change since 2025 is federal: Transport Canada’s iMHZEV program, which gave up to $200,000 at the point of sale on a new or leased medium- or heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle, closed on March 31, 2026.1 BC’s own point-of-sale rebate opened on August 10, 2026.3
Truck and charging incentives as of October 5, 2026
| Who runs it | What it covers | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go Electric Rebates | Province of BC | Point-of-sale rebates on new medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs, up to $130,000 for a Class 8 | Open since August 10, 2026 |
| Fleet Charging Program | Province of BC | 50% of fleet charger costs; up to $75,000 or $100,000 for a heavy-duty fast charger | Open |
| Public Charger Program (medium and heavy duty) | Province of BC | Public fast chargers for medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs | Intake closed |
| iMHZEV | Transport Canada | Point-of-sale incentives of up to $200,000 on medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs | Closed March 31, 2026 |
| ZEVIP | Natural Resources Canada | Charging infrastructure, fleets included | Closed for applications |
| Green Freight Program | Natural Resources Canada | Fleet assessments, retrofits and low-carbon vehicles | Closed (last stream January 16, 2026) |
| Zero-Emission Trucking Program | Transport Canada | Research and deployment projects | Not a point-of-sale rebate |
Sources: Go Electric BC, Transport Canada and Natural Resources Canada program pages, checked October 5, 2026.
One federal program you may hear about isn’t a rebate at the dealer: Transport Canada’s Zero-Emission Trucking Program, $75.8 million over five years from 2022-23, funds research and deployment projects for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.9
BC’s Go Electric Rebates, in detail
$130,000
for a Class 8
$90,000
for a Class 6 or 7
$60,000
for a Class 4 or 5
- New vehicles only. The truck must be new, never sold at retail and never registered anywhere. A used electric truck doesn’t qualify.4
- Hybrids: plug-in hybrids (over 50 kWh of usable battery) and extended-range electrics get 50% of the rebate; a conventional hybrid isn’t eligible.4
- Stay in BC: the truck has to stay plated, registered and insured in BC in your name for at least 48 months.4
- Limits: a business can get rebates on up to 5 vehicles a year, and the program can’t be stacked with other CleanBC funding.34
Check the status before you order
Rebates are paid while the program’s funds last; BC plans to add funds and reopen intake “if closed” on December 10, 2026 and April 12, 2027. The Go Electric BC site also notes it isn’t being updated during the provincial election period. Confirm the program is open, and that your truck is on its eligible list, before you sign.3
An electric truck is financed like any other truck, with a bigger price to cover: see truck financing.
Charging: the part that decides it
For a heavy truck, charging usually means your own yard. BC’s Fleet Charging Program is open and pays 50% of project costs for most organizations, up to $75,000 for a 100–199 kW fast charger and $100,000 for 200 kW or more for a medium- or heavy-duty fleet, with up to 40 hours of free advice from a fleet advisor.5 The province’s program for public heavy-duty fast chargers has closed its intake,6 and the federal ZEVIP is closed for applications.7
BC had more than 8,800 public charging ports on January 1, 2026, 2,417 of them fast-charging.12 Whether any of them suits a tractor-trailer depends on the site: can a 53′ rig get in and out, and is the charger fast enough for your stop? Plan on charging where the truck parks.
Range and weight
Range ratings vary widely. A 2023 National Research Council report noted makers launching long-haul battery-electric trucks with 500 to 800 km of range.16 That is a maker’s figure for a given load and route; your own range depends on the payload, the grades and the season. Size the battery to your longest day, not your average one.
Batteries are heavy, and the weight comes out of payload. In 2021 BC announced a 1,500 kg weight allowance for electrically powered full-sized commercial vehicles and 1,000 kg for hydrogen-powered ones, with maximum gross combination weights of up to 65,000 kg and 64,500 kg, available at first through letters of authorization.11
The announcement sent questions and requests for letters of authorization to CVSE’s Commercial Transport department (Commercial.Transport@gov.bc.ca). Ask there how the allowance applies to your truck before you count on the extra payload.11
What the rules require (and don’t)
- BC: the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act sets sales targets for new vehicles of 4,536 kg GVWR or less, so it doesn’t cover heavy trucks.13 In April 2026 the Province cut its 2035 target from 100% to 75% and removed the 2035 ban on new combustion-engine sales.12
- Canada: Ottawa’s plan to regulate medium- and heavy-duty ZEV sales is “no longer being pursued”; it says it will work through greenhouse gas emission standards instead.14
- US: the EPA repealed all US greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles and engines, heavy-duty included, effective April 20, 2026.15 The 2027 NOx standards are a separate rule: see our EPA 2027 guide.
- The port: the Port of Vancouver’s Truck Licensing System requires trucks added to a fleet from January 1, 2025 to be 2018 or newer, electric or not.17
Electric trucks in BC: the dates that matter
BC announces weight allowances
1,500 kg for electric, 1,000 kg for hydrogen commercial vehicles.11
Green Freight Program closes
Its last stream, for assessments and retrofits.8
iMHZEV closes
The federal point-of-sale incentive ends.1
BC amends its ZEV Act
The 2035 target drops to 75%, for light vehicles.12
US vehicle GHG standards repealed
Heavy-duty included.15
BC’s Go Electric Rebates open
Up to $130,000 on a new Class 8.3
- Today, Oct 7, 2026
Go Electric funds added
Intake reopens if it has closed.3
Go Electric funds added again
Intake reopens if it has closed.3
Sources: Transport Canada, NRCan, Go Electric BC, BC news releases and the US Federal Register, checked October 5, 2026.
Is an electric or hybrid truck right for my routes?
Answer a few questions about one route. It’s a starting point for your own homework with a maker and your utility, not a recommendation to buy.
Decision helper
Electric, hybrid or diesel for this route?
Worked out in your browser; nothing is saved or sent.
If you answer
- Moves trailers or containers around one yard or terminal and Yes, or we can add it
- Local work, back at the same yard every night and Yes, with room to spare and Yes, or we can add a charger and No, the box fills before we reach the limit
A good fit to test
Price a battery-electric truck for this route
Short, predictable days that end at your own charger are where electric trucks fit best. Ask makers for a range rating at your load, and check BC’s rebate and charger program before you order.
Why
- BC’s rebate pays up to $130,000 on a new Class 8, while its funds last.
If you answer
- Moves trailers or containers around one yard or terminal and No, and we can’t add it
- Local work, back at the same yard every night and Yes, with room to spare and No, it parks where there’s no power
Sort out charging first
No charger, no electric truck
Until the truck can charge where it parks, keep running diesel. BC’s Fleet Charging Program pays 50% of a fleet charger and offers free advice from a fleet advisor.
If you answer
- Local work, back at the same yard every night and I don’t know the range yet
Measure first
Log your longest days
Track a month of your heaviest, longest days, then ask makers to rate range at that load and in winter. Come back to this helper with the numbers.
If you answer
- Local work, back at the same yard every night and Yes, with room to spare and Yes, or we can add a charger and Yes, often
Check the payload
Work out what the battery costs you in payload
Compare the electric truck’s tare weight with your current truck’s, and ask CVSE about BC’s weight allowance for electric vehicles before you count on it.
If you answer
- Local work, back at the same yard every night and It’s close
- Regional runs: the Interior, the Island, Alberta and Yes
Not yet battery-electric
Look at plug-in hybrids, or stay on diesel for now
A plug-in hybrid gets half of BC’s rebate; a conventional hybrid gets none. If neither fits, a newer diesel keeps the route running while charging and range catch up.
If you answer
- Regional runs: the Interior, the Island, Alberta and No, it stays away overnight
- Long haul, days away from the yard
Diesel for now
Keep this route on diesel
Routes that keep a truck away from its own charger are the hardest case for batteries today. Revisit when charging on your corridor changes.
A starting point, not advice. The maker’s ratings, your utility and the program’s rules decide.
Diesel or electric: the energy cost of a day
Energy is where an electric truck can win back some of its price. Put in your own route and prices; we don’t fill in any figures.
Worksheet: your numbers
Energy cost: diesel against electric
Your numbers stay in your browser.
Your result
Energy saved a year on electric
—
Diesel a year
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Electricity a year
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Diesel cost per km
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Electricity cost per km
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Fill in your numbers to see the result.
Energy only: not the price of the truck, the charger, maintenance, insurance or rebates. Your figures; not financial advice.
Calculator
Add up what a unit costs over the years you run it: the loan, fuel and running costs, less what it sells…
Calculator
Work out what each kilometre or mile costs you to run, from your own figures. Add your rate to see your profit…
FAQ
Electric and hybrid truck questions
Is there still a federal rebate on electric trucks?
No. Transport Canada’s iMHZEV program, which gave up to $200,000 at the point of sale, closed on March 31, 2026.
How much is BC’s rebate on an electric semi?
Up to $130,000 for a new Class 8 under the Go Electric Rebates program, open since August 10, 2026, while funds last. Indigenous organizations, local governments and non-profits get a 20% top-up.
Can I get the rebate on a used electric truck?
No. BC’s program guide says the vehicle must be new: never sold at retail and never registered in BC or anywhere else.
Do hybrid trucks qualify?
Plug-in hybrids with more than 50 kWh of usable battery, and extended-range electrics, get 50% of BC’s rebate. A conventional hybrid, which you can’t plug in, isn’t eligible.
Will I have to buy an electric truck?
Not under today’s rules. BC’s ZEV Act covers vehicles of 4,536 kg or less, and the federal plan to regulate heavy-truck ZEV sales is no longer being pursued.
