Windsor's mayor is encouraged to see a Windsor-built minivan being included on a federal incentive list.
Drew Dilkens commented Tuesday morning on the decision made by the federal government to place the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, built at the Windsor Assembly Plant, on its list of "green" vehicles eligible for a $5,000 rebate. The incentive is designed to encourage auto buyers to consider hybrid or plug-in vehicles to help protect the environment.
The Pacifica, the only Canadian-built vehicle that could qualify, was originally not included on the list of eligible vehicles because the bare-bones manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was above the $45,000 cutoff. But Dilkens told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com there was an inkling before that a change would be coming.
"We had talked just weeks before to Catherine McKenna [Minister of the Environment and Climate Change], who was in Windsor and she committed that there might be good news coming leading up to the budget," said Dilkens.
The original incentive list produced an outcry from local auto workers and the Windsor-Essex area's federal NDP representation, but the federal government announced at the end of March that the rebate will include the Pacifica.
In the face of FCA's decision to cut the third shift at the plant due to sagging minivan sales, Dilkens said including the Windsor-made Pacifica makes sense for everyone, from the workers who build it to the consumer buying it.
"Certainly they would want to help promote a vehicle made in Canada and offer the incentive, and at the end of the day, it really didn't take much more money to up the price," said Dilkens.
A complete listing of "green" vehicles covered under the incentive is available through the official Plug 'N Drive website.