A motor vehicle that is designed or adapted primarily to carry individuals on highways and streets and that seats no more than nine people, including the driver.

An automobile does not include:

• an ambulance
• a clearly marked emergency medical response vehicle used by individuals to carry out their duties with an emergency medical response or ambulance service, and to carry emergency medical equipment together with one or more emergency medical attendants or paramedics
• a motor vehicle acquired or leased primarily as a taxi
• a bus used in a passenger transportation business
• a hearse used in a funeral home business
• a pickup truck, van or similar vehicle:
  • that seats no more than three people, including the driver, and that, in the taxation year it is acquired or leased, is used primarily (more than 50%) to transport goods or equipment in order to earn income, or
  • that, in the taxation year it is acquired or leased, is used entirely or almost entirely (90% or more) to transport goods, equipment or passengers in order to earn income, regardless of seating capacity
• a pickup truck, if the following conditions are met:
  • in the year it is acquired or leased, it is used primarily to transport goods, equipment or passengers in order to gain income at a location in Canada
  • at least one occupant of the vehicle works at a special work site where they perform temporary duties or at a location so remote from any established community that they cannot establish or maintain a dwelling there
  • the special work site or remote location is 30 kilometres or more from an urban area of at least 40,000 inhabitants

The following vehicles are also not considered to be automobiles (except under the rules for benefits provided to an individual by reason of the individual's office or employment and benefits provided to shareholders):

• motor vehicles acquired or leased to be sold or leased in the course of carrying on a business of selling or leasing motor vehicles
• motor vehicles used by a funeral home business to transport passengers