Mr. Chair, the amendment to clause 53 would allow plug-in hybrids with a battery capacity of at least seven kilowatts, rather than 15, to be eligible for the zero-emission vehicle writeoff or rebate. This amendment to the battery size threshold better reflects the current market availability of plug-in hybrids while still ensuring that the tax incentive remains effective.
I would add that amending the battery size threshold is reflective of the current plug-in hybrid vehicle market. It is a fact that hybrids equipped with smaller batteries still provide significant environmental benefits as compared with their traditional counterparts given that they can still run solely on battery power for a decent range.
That is the reason for my amendment.
Finally, if I could, I would add that expanding this eligibility to more plug-in hybrids further encourages businesses to transition to a zero-emission fleet, thereby contributing to meeting our country's greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.