FVEAA Forums
EV Ownership => EV Resources => Topic started by: ted.lowe on November 18, 2007, 06:49:29 PM
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Illinois Alternative Fuels Rebate Program
The Illinois EPA runs this program where you can receive a $4000 rebate when you convert a gasoline burning car to electric drive! See the Illinois Green Fleets website for program information:
http://www.illinoisgreenfleets.org/fuels/ (http://www.illinoisgreenfleets.org/fuels/)
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Great news for all who have applied for their EPA rebate or just had a question if the EPA Rebate program still exists. A customer of ours that applied last July 2007, received his check in the amount of $4000 yesterday. No fanfare, no lunchen, just a check. Made his EV grin a
little lot larger. ;D
John
Pioneer Conversions
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Thanks for the experiential reassurance John! i recently talked with Mary Cruse whom administers the Green Fleets program in the IL EPA and she said she's swamped with paperwork (mostly from the alt. fuel discount requests which is also part of the program). Expect a 6 month or more delay in getting your rebate (and as John mentioned, less fanfare due to the EPA running with skeleton staff levels).
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They must have sent them all out last week...got mine on Saturday!
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My check came Thurs. Thrill ranks right up there with putting the first 100 mi. on my truck. Gotta love it !
Mike
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I am new to this forum and to EV's. I am considering doing a conversion. But there are only 2 months left in this rebate program! I doubt that I will have a completed car in this time. Does anyone know if there is any talk of this program being extended or renewed?
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My understanding is that this is an ongoing program, and does not end at the end of 2008. It is true that the state only mails checks once a year, usually in the spring. Applications made during any calendar year are paid in the spring. If you do delay, you may miss the 2009 spring payment. The state will look for receipts for the equipment, and will look for several pictures of the electrical equipment in place. They have not been real picky about the photos, and do not require an inspection or proof of actual range for the rebate. I know they accepted a car with pictures of motor in place, and batteries in place, with the batteries wired, but did not notice that the main fuse was not yet in place, or a couple of other smaller things. That car had it's pictures taken after the installation of the main items, but before every last thing was connected, and they approved the rebate on that car.
Licensing is a different issue entirely.
If you want the rebate in Spring of 2009, get started now. Submit your application with receipts and pictures and W-9 form before the end of the year. See the instructions at: http://www.illinoisgreenfleets.org/fuels/ (http://www.illinoisgreenfleets.org/fuels/) and scroll down to section 3. That will give you the exact procedure to get the rebate.
The State of Illinois has funded this as an ongoing program, and of course, could withdraw the program at any time in the interest of budget limitations. I have not read any statements about ending the program, but government programs are subject to change.
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i concur with Rich about the ongoing rebate program and we've heard nothing about it ending. If you want to be absolutely sure, talk to Mary Cruse in Springfield.
What Mary told me this spring is that they process the rebates twice per year. The most important rule as far as dates go, is that you must submit your paperwork in the same calendar year that you finish the conversion. If you finish in December, they will accept it up to Jan 31st. Mary said she's been swamped by fuel rebates (part of the same program) so the checks are running about 6 months after submissions. She also said she plans to retire in the Spring and nobody else knows what to do (but she's been saying that for a couple of years now:-). This is the least 'hoop jumping' government rebate program i know of... just keep your receipts organized!
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Just to add to the info:
I submitted my application in May 2008 for my conversion completed in April 2008. I received one phone call in August regrding a question on the application, and then received my check two weeks ago. When I spoke to the lady in August, she told me that the majority of the applications are filed at year end, and also told me they were very busy processing fuel rebates. Over all though, the application process went very smoothly. I would expect 5-6 months wait time.
Craig
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Looks like I mis-read the program. This is good news. Thanks for clearing this up. I think I can see an EV in my future after all. ;D
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I am about to send in my rebate request for the conversion that I did. I have a stack of receipts. Does anyone have experience for how they like to see the receipts? Do they need to know exactly what a part was used for, or simply that it was part of the conversion? Any general tips?
Thanks,
Nathan.
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Just copy the receipts. Several on a page for the smaller ones. Make sure the company logo or letter head shows. Harris battery, Netgain, or whatever. Send them in with your form. Parts total over 4k.
Don't expect a check until maybe June though.
Mike
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At least you guys get checks. Does anyone have any good ideas on the best way to lobby for a similar program here in TN?
Matt Kenigson
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Just copy the receipts. Several on a page for the smaller ones. Make sure the company logo or letter head shows. Harris battery, Netgain, or whatever. Send them in with your form. Parts total over 4k.
Don't expect a check until maybe June though.
Mike
Let me clarify a little. You will get a rebate for 80% of the costs of an EV conversion, up to a $4000 rebate. Obviously you need to submit receipts showing more than $5000 in labor and parts to get the maximum of $4000 in the rebate.
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Just got my rebate check for Electric Bug. I submitted the mountain of receipts in November. Nice to get some $$ back for my investment!
Anyone else receive anything yet?
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Followup from Friday's meeting about the 'timing of submission of conversion rebate':
From http://www.illinoisgreenfleets.org/rebates/conversion (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!
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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.