Electric Vehicle Rebate Program
Rebates help eligible Illinois residents buy new or used all-electric vehicles and motorcycles from licensed Illinois dealers.
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For the August–December 2026 cycle, an all-electric vehicle other than a motorcycle qualifies for a $4,000 rebate if you meet the low-income test, or $2,000 if you meet the general income limit only. Electric motorcycles qualify for $1,500 for either income group. Your rebate cannot exceed the vehicle’s purchase price.
Rebates are paid by paper check. Funding cannot be reserved before purchase, and receiving a rebate is subject to available funds. Low-income applicants receive priority; other eligible applicants are considered in postmark order after low-income needs are covered.
Eligibility
- You must apply as an individual, rather than a business, government body or other organization, and cannot be claimed as a dependent. You must live in Illinois when you buy the vehicle and when the rebate is issued.
- Your combined gross annual household income must not exceed 500% of the federal poverty line. Use the 2026 table in the application instructions: count everyone living at your residence for household size, and include your income and that of adults over 18 who live with you, are related to you by blood, marriage or adoption, and cannot be claimed as dependents. Gross income means income before tax and deductions, including taxable and nontaxable sources. For example, the general limit for a four-person household is $165,000.
- For low-income priority and the $4,000 vehicle rebate, include your gross income and that of all adults over 18 living with you who are related by blood, marriage or adoption. This test includes related adults who can be claimed as dependents. The combined income must be at or below the 2026 HUD “Low (80%) Income Limits” amount for your Illinois county and household size. Follow the instructions’ HUD link, select Illinois and your county, choose “View County Calculations”, then compare your income with the “Low (80%)” row for your household size.
- Buy from a dealer licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State, and take delivery in Illinois. You must own the vehicle when the rebate is issued. Rentals, leases, out-of-state dealers and out-of-state delivery are excluded.
- The vehicle’s base purchase or selling price must be $80,000 or less before deductions and credits. Separately itemized taxes, registration and licence fees, document service fees and aftermarket products are excluded from that price. Down payments, trade-ins, manufacturer rebates and government incentives do not reduce the price used for this test.
- The vehicle must run exclusively on electricity and be legal on all public roads, including interstate highways. Hybrids, extended-range vehicles with fuel-powered engines, off-highway vehicles, golf carts and vehicles with maximum speeds below 45 mph are excluded.
- The vehicle must never have received this rebate; check its VIN in the programme’s lookup. You must not have received a rebate under this programme in the preceding 10 years. A rebate under the earlier Alternate Fuels Program before July 1, 2022 does not count toward that limit.
- Keep ownership, Illinois residence and Illinois registration for at least 12 consecutive months after purchase. Notify Illinois EPA within 60 days if you fail these conditions and repay the rebate. Changes in residence or ownership before payment must be reported immediately. If your vehicle is totaled during this period and you replace it with an electric vehicle, you may keep the rebate by mailing crash documentation, the replacement bill of sale and registration to Illinois EPA; otherwise you must repay it.
- Illinois EPA may later request evidence of eligibility, including income tax returns. Respond by its specified deadline: failure to respond or evidence that you were ineligible for the rebate or low-income priority can require repayment of all or part of the rebate.
How to apply
- Status
- søknadsfrist 31. des. 2026
- Åpner
- Søknadsfrist
- Vilkår for søknadsrunden
- Postmark within 180 days of the purchase agreement being signed by buyer and dealer, and during this cycle. Rebates depend on available funds; low-income applicants have priority.
Download the current application and instructions from Illinois EPA. Complete and sign the application, and have the selling dealer complete and sign the dealership section. Include the purchase agreement or bill of sale, proof that the dealer has been fully paid or the balance financed, Illinois registration or the dealer’s temporary permit, and the applicable IRS W-9 or W-8 form.
Print and mail the application to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Electric Vehicle Rebate Program MC #40, P.O. Box 19276, Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276. For a private courier, use 2520 West Iles Avenue, Springfield, Illinois 62704. Email, fax and hand delivery are not accepted.
Your application must be postmarked during the current cycle and within 180 days after purchase. The purchase date is when buyer and dealer have both signed the purchase agreement. Incomplete or late applications are denied; a replacement application must still meet both deadlines.