Yes for the Jeep Patriot; no for the Honda Fit
I won't publish again the list of eligible vehicles (see previous article), especially since it keeps getting updated by the program administrators. You can also visit Transport Canada's website. When analyzing the ecoAUTO program, we find out that the list includes new cars with a fuel economy rating of 6.5 L/100 km or less as well as new light-duty trucks and SUVs with a fuel economy rating of 8.3 L/100 km or less. If I understand this correctly, cars that burn between 6.6 and 8.3 litres of fuel per 100 km are not eligible. Now, that can't be right?

2007 Honda Fit

Well, it's the reality. What an aberration! This means that the Jeep Patriot, with its 8.3 L/100 km rating, is eligible for a $1,000 refund while small, economy cars such as the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio (to name only a few) are left in a void; their owners cannot benefit from the program.

Flexible-fuel vehicles
On further inspection, when looking at the list of flexible-fuel vehicles that are eligible for a $1,000 refund, there are four models that can run on E85 fuel (85 % ethanol):

1. Chevrolet Impala, 3.5 L, 6 cylinder, 4-speed automatic;
2. Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 3.5 L, 6 cylinder, 4-speed automatic;
3. Chrysler Sebring, 2.7 L, 6 cylinder, 4-speed automatic;
4. Chrysler Sebring, 2.7 L, 6 cylinder, 4-speed automatic with manual mode.

GM's 3.5 L V6 engine

Let's be serious here. First, the E85 supply infrastructures are extremely rare, especially in Quebec. Besides, it's highly likely that flexible-fuel vehicle sales will increase exponentially over the next few years, which means that, in order to increase the level of ethanol in fuel from 10 to 85 %, producers such as Ethanol Greenfield will have to turn to another resource than corn. And in terms of GHG reduction and air quality improvement, what are the benefits of purchasing or leasing a Chevrolet Impala or Chrysler Sebring that burns up to 13 litres of fuel per 100 km? I'm asking you, please!


Photo Credit : Gouvernement du Canada, Toyota, Philippe Champoux, General Motors