Kankakee Times

State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), in a Nov. 13 Facebook post, reminded Illinois residents about the opportunity to take advantage of rebates for electric vehicles and motorcycles.

Barickman shared a link to a state website that noted the rebates for the current fiscal year are $4,000 for an electric vehicle and $1,500 for an electric motorcycle. The deadline for rebate applications is Jan. 31, 2023. The rebate application also must be postmarked within 90 days of the date that the vehicle was purchased, and applicants must meet eligibility requirements.

According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency website, the purchaser must live in Illinois when the vehicle was purchased and at the time of the rebate. The vehicle also must be purchased from a dealer in the state and licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State. The website also noted that the vehicle also cannot be subject to a previous rebate and rented or leased vehicles also do not qualify, according to the website, and the rebates are limited to individuals only, and do not include government entities, businesses or other organizations.

The website noted that applicants must make sure that all of their documentation is in the name of the person applying for the grant, and the rebate cannot exceed the vehicle’s purchase price. The person receiving the rebate also must own the vehicle for 12 consecutive months after the date of purchase and has to apply for the rebate within 90 days of buying the vehicle, according to the website. 

According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the program is part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act that went into law last year. According to the state EPA, the program also includes grant programs to fund charging stations as well as provisions to phase out carbon emissions.