Illinois consumers who purchased a new plug-in vehicle in 2014, or later, will not receive a $4,000 rebate from the state.

That is the message from the Illinois Green Fleet rebate program, which announced the suspension of the rebate last week.

The Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program started in 1998 and over $14 million in rebates have been issued through 2013 for the implementation of over 13,000 vehicles. The amount of the rebate was 80 percent of the incremental cost of the alternate fuel vehicle versus its conventional counterpart up to $4,000. It was available to individuals, businesses and government units that purchased a new qualifying electric vehicle, including: 

• Nissan Leaf 
• Mitsubishi i Miev 
• Ford Focus EV 
• Smart “fortwo” EV 
• Tesla Model S 
• Chevrolet Volt 
• Cadillac ELR 
• BMW i3 

Representatives from the Illinois EPA confirmed that there are no current plans to reinstate the rebate in the future, or replace it with a different incentive program.

The suspension of the Alternate Fuel Rebate Program does not impact other Illinois incentives, like the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rebate Program.

Barry Brents is a tax attorney, specializing in US and state tax law. His website, PlugIncentives.com, provides dealerships and consumers with the most up-to-date information about EV incentives. Follow PlugIncentives on Twitter for the latest updates on EV Incentives programs around the country.

Image: Nicolas Raymond/Flickr