Hundreds of would-be Tesla owners are stuck in neutral as Queen’s Park determines whether to appeal a court ruling that the government “unlawfully targetted” the automaker when it scrapped electric-vehicle rebates.Premier Doug Ford’s officials were poring over Justice Frederick Myers’ 17-page Ontario Superior Court decision on Tuesday before deciding their next steps after the legal setback.They are expected to move quickly because Myers’ ruling effectively slams the brakes on the Progressive Conservative government’s phasing out of electric car subsidies.Tesla buyer Kurtis Evans, who hopes to take delivery of his Model 3 next week, is in limbo because the $14,000 subsidy is a dealbreaker for his family.Evans, a Toronto elementary school teacher, said he’s “going to have to cancel” delivery of the $74,000 car if the rebate is not reinstated as Myers ordered.“I’m not an elitist millionaire. We couldn’t afford the car without the incentive; that’s the reality of it,” he said, noting he plans to sell his 2014 Honda Civic to help defray costs of the Tesla.Read more:Ford Conservatives ready to hit the brakes on electric vehicle rebatesTesla wins lawsuit against Ontario government over phase-out of electric vehicle incentivesTesla sues Ontario, saying it was singled out during cancellation of electric vehicle rebates“We’re going to hope to find out a little bit more information, get a little bit of clarity from the government in the next two days and will hopefully be able to make a decision ahead of when the car is going to be in the city.”Myers found that in scrapping electric-vehicle subsidies last month the Tories were unfair to the U.S. company, which sells directly to consumers instead of through franchised dealerships.When the fledgling administration announced the payouts would be phased out, it gave buyers who purchased their electric cars through indep ...
|
