$4,000 rebate for EV conversions in IL

[ted.lowe]

Followup from Friday's meeting about the 'timing of submission of conversion rebate':

From http://www.illinoisgreenfleets.org/rebates/conversion

Application Deadline for a Conversion Rebate

Conversion Rebate applications are due 12 months after the date of conversion system or component purchase. The postmark date must be by the last day of the twelfth month after the conversion date (i.e., a vehicle converted on August 23, 2013 must have its application postmarked by August 31, 2014)

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So what i said, "The rebate must be submitted by the last day of the year the conversion was completed" is correct.

But the first sentence 'due 12 months after the date of conversion system or component purchase' speaks towards what John Emde and George Hiller asserted.  Since we (EV converters) rarely buy a 'conversion system' and almost always buy multiple 'conversion components' i'm not sure this would apply to us.   i'm pretty sure that FVEAAers have submitted paperwork with receipts for component purchases more than a year old.  i think the purpose of the wording is to prevent really old or drawn out conversions from qualifying and not to reject ones that were planned and executed over the course of a 1-2 year period.   

Please feel free to weigh in on your interpretations of the wording of the rebate rules, etc.  Thx!

[rich.carroll]

There are two separate issues here.  First, you must document to the State that you have converted a vehicle to  an "alternate fuel vehicle."  This can be accomplished by pictures showing the components in place, and invoices and bills of sale showing the purchase(s) of equipment needed in the conversion.  They generally looked in the past for a visible battery charger, batteries, a motor, and a motor controller.  Pictures which show electric power steering, or an electric vacuum pump as a vacuum source for power brakes don't help here.

Invoices and bills of sale for components, or for the work of doing the conversion (must be from a "Commercial/retail business" ) are a separate issue, but just as essential.  The new wording seems to be aimed toward a timely finish to the project.  Proof of payment is also required.  The timing is defined by:   

Conversion Rebate applications are due 12 months after the date of conversion system or component purchase. The postmark date must be by the last day of the twelfth month after the conversion date (i.e., a vehicle converted on August 23, 2013 must have its application postmarked by August 31, 2014)

    I would think that in effort to comply with the wording of the regulations, a prudent person doing a conversion would make certain that at least $5,000 of the conversion costs would be invoiced and paid within the twelve months prior to the finish date. 

Bear in mind that usually the biggest single item in an EV conversion is the battery cost.  Anyone purchasing batteries more than a year before the end of the conversion is perhaps not realizing that this storage of the batteries without some preventative maintenance would not be an ideal situation. 

I would also think, based on conversations with Illinois Green Fleets people, that if you were to submit receipts showing a conversion time of more than a year, with a valid reason (reserve military unit called up or serious and documented medical situation) they would take such difficulites into consideration.

The bottom line is, read the regulations carefully, follow the guidelines, and you should not have difficulty in getting approval.  Unfortunately, the state is still slow in paying bills, and they are only processed twice a year.  Miss the July deadline, and you will wait until the next processing in February, plus some time for the processing of the rebate check.