McLean County Times

Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) is reminding Illinois residents about the chance to take advantage of rebates for electric vehicles and motorcycles.

According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency website, the deadline for rebate applications is Jan. 31, 2023, and a rebate application also must be postmarked within 90 days of the date that the vehicle was purchased, and applicants must meet eligibility requirements.

"For the current fiscal year, there are rebates of $4,000 for an electric vehicle and $1,500 for an electric motorcycle,” Barickman said in a Facebook post.

According to the Illinois EPA website, the purchaser is required 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 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, according to the EPA.

Moreover, applications 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, according to the EPA, and 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 Illinois EPA, 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.