Electric Vehicles in Illinois
EV infrastructure incentives are now available from the Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO).
EV Charging Station Rebates
DCEO is providing rebates toward the installation of Level II EV charging stations. During the Fiscal Year 2013 rebate cycle, rebates covered 50% of equipment and installation (materials and labor) costs up to the following caps: $3,750 per networked single station; $3,000 per non-networked single station; $7,500 per networked dual station; and $6,000 per non-networked dual station. Please refer to program guidelines for definitions of these station types and details on technical requirements. The maximum possible total rebate award is $49,000 or 50% of the total project cost for up to 15 stations, whichever is less.
Eligible applicants for this rebate program include: units of government, businesses, educational institutions, non-profits, and individual residents. EV charging stations must be purchased and installed prior to submitting a rebate application. Rebate applications will be processed on a rolling basis.
This program is currently closed. DCEO anticipates re-opening this rebate program again in the spring or summer of 2013. Program guidelines and application packets will be posted on this webpage when the program re-opens.
Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the rebate program and “The EV Project” run by ECOtality
Click here for Clean Cities EV Handbooks for consumers, electrical contractors, fleet managers, and charging station hosts
Click here for guidance on EV charging for persons with disabilities
Click here to link to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator (see “Add a Station” to register installed EV charging stations)
EV Industry Development Grants
DCEO provides grants toward projects that support electric vehicle and electric vehicle supply equipment production through the development or expansion of related businesses, including component manufacturers. During the Fiscal Year 2012 grant cycle, proposed projects were eligible for grants covering 50 percent of eligible project costs up to a maximum grant award of $1,000,000.
This program is currently closed. DCEO anticipates re-opening this grant program again in the spring or summer of 2013. Program guidelines and application packets will be posted on this webpage when the program re-opens.
Illinois has provided early leadership in supporting the adoption and use of (EVs) throughout the state:
• DCEO chairs the Illinois Electric Vehicle Advisory Council, which was formed when Governor Quinn signed the Electric Vehicle Act (Public Act 97-0089) in July 2011. In December 2011, the Council submitted a final report to Governor Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly with recommendations on promoting the adoption and use of EVs in Illinois. The Council continues to meet to implement the report recommendations and guide ongoing development of the state’s EV programs and policies.
• The Illinois General Assembly appropriated up to $10 million in capital funding for DCEO to award EV manufacturing and infrastructure grants and loans.
• The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) offers rebates toward EV purchases. Visit the Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program website for more information.
• The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) launched a Plug‐in Electric Vehicle Initiative (PEV Initiative) to explore regulatory issues related to EV deployment.
• The ICC is also developing rules for the certification of EV charging station installers. Information on the rulemaking – including draft rules and comments – is available on the ICC’s website. Requirements for the ICC’s new certification process were established in Public Act 97-1128, signed by Governor Quinn on August 28, 2012.
• The Chicago region has been selected to participate in “The EV Project,” managed by ECOtality and supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Through The EV Project, ECOtality is providing free EV charging stations and credit toward installation costs. To date, the project has collected over 44 million miles of data on the use of EVs in 21 metropolitan areas. Visit The EV Project for more information on getting a free EV charging station and accessing the project data. Please note that station installations through The EV Project are not eligible for the state rebate described above.
• Through its partnership with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition, Illinois has installed one of the most comprehensive public charging station networks in the United States. Charging station locations are searchable on the ChargePoint Network.
• Collaborative efforts among local officials, business leaders, and educational institutions to create EVTown in Bloomington‐Normal and to pass an EV infrastructure ordinance in Kane County serve as models for local EV initiatives throughout the nation.
These initiatives provide a strong foundation from which Illinois can pursue the full spectrum of opportunities that EVs offer:
• Consumer advantages of electricity as a relatively low‐cost “fuel” and EVs’ less frequent maintenance requirements
• Environmental benefits from reduced emissions
• Economic development and job creation from the growth of EV‐related technologies and services
• Decreased reliance on imported petroleum
• Opportunities to integrate and leverage renewable energy resources and smart grid deployment