An electric vehicle tax takes effect today with registered owners having to pay an extra $150 on top of their regular fees.
It is a move that is still being questioned by the head of the Saskatchewan Electric Vehicles Association.
Matthew Pointer says when the government says climate change is a priority, this shows it isn’t.
“No other province in Canada is looking to do this and they have a significantly higher population of electric vehicles than we have.” Pointer said. “In B.C, they have the highest amount of electric vehicles in North America per capita and they are not even considering a tax because they see the benefit of this long-term.
Pointer says when the tax was first announced in the budget they were upset and they still are. He says this tax is premature and should not have been installed until more electric cars were on the road in Saskatchewan. He also wishes some consultation could have been had.
“It would have been nice to know this was on their radar.” Pointer said. “We could have then had some meaningful conversations and dialogue to find something that would have better saved both. I have no problem with a tax being paid, but they could have waited until more people had electric vehicles.
There are just over 600 registered electric vehicles in Saskatchewan right now.
The government put in the tax saying it is an effort to recoup fuel tax money from those who drive fully electric vehicles.
