Electric vehicle owners demand delay in tax from Sask. government

There are only 600 electric vehicle owners currently in Saskatchewan, and many of them are upset with the provincial government.

On Oct. 1, the Saskatchewan government started charging electric vehicle owners a $150 tax, claiming it would contribute to the provincial road maintenance fund.

The majority of EV owners want to see a delay in the tax until there are more electric vehicle owners in the province. A rough number of 10,000 EV owners would suffice, according to Allyson Brady of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society.

“All we are asking for is a delay in the tax, until 1.3 per cent of the light-duty vehicles on Saskatchewan roads are electric,” Brady said during a Zoom call.

Brady said that percentage would actually help maintain roads in the province.

“Not only is this an entirely reasonable and fair ask, but by then the tax might actually start to contribute to road maintenance, which was the guise under which it was created,” Brady said.

While the tax may work out more efficiently for everyone in the future, the current EV owners in the province continue to voice their frustration.

“Starting the tax now tells the world that Saskatchewan doesn’t want electric vehicles or the money, jobs, and investment they bring,” Tyler Krause of the Tesla Owners Club of Saskatchewan said in a media release.

“The world is transitioning over to electric vehicles. A punitive tax like this makes the Saskatchewan government look backwards, like they are against investment and growth.”

Brady argued the benefit of electric vehicles for the environment should be considered.

“Electric vehicles are up to five times more energy efficient than conventional vehicles,” she said. “EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions and can run on 100 per cent sustainable renewable resources.”