LANSING, Mich. (April 21, 2022) — Sens. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) and Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) today introduced legislation to create an electric vehicle (EV) and charging station rebate program for Michigan residents which, if enacted, would take effect later this year.
“We can think of no better investment to make than that of our residents who will have invested their time and energy to engineer, construct, and produce these exciting innovations in mobility,” Sen. Polehanki said. “Michigan’s auto workers have been working day and night to create the next generation of automobiles, and the legislature must do a better job supporting these innovations as they come to market. We look forward to working with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to raise awareness of the economic benefits Michigan stands to gain from the passage of these bills.”
Senate Bills 1016 and 1017, sponsored by Sens. Polehanki and McCann, respectively, would create a rebate program for the purchase of electric vehicles and charging equipment for residents who install at-home charging equipment for EVs and hybrid vehicles. The bills provide for a rebate up to $2,000, if the owner applies within 120 days of buying their vehicle, and would only apply to new vehicles bought after Oct. 1, 2022.
The Michigan Department of Treasury would administer the program.
“As Michigan goes all-in to support our automotive industry’s shift to electric vehicles and their components, we must also ensure that all our residents can partake in this monumental shift,” Sen. McCann said. “The creation and implementation of a rebate program for the purchase of a vehicle or an at-home charging station will help Michigan’s economy and environment in the coming years. We must make it economically practical for families to afford electric vehicles while we work toward getting older, high-emissions vehicles off the road in favor of cleaner, lower-emission ones that will have been built right here in Michigan.”
The legislation introduced is an extension of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget recommendation, which included a $50 million one-time investment into EV and Charging Equipment Rebates to accelerate the purchase of new electric vehicles by Michigan residents. The State Budget Office has estimated this incentive will support the purchase of more than 18,750 new electric vehicles in the state.
Senate Bills 1016 and 1017 come on the heels of recent, historic investments in electric vehicles from Michigan’s biggest automobile manufacturers. General Motors has committed to 30 new global EVs by 2025, Ford plans to produce more than 2 million EVs annually by 2026, and Chrysler plans to become all-electric by 2028.
###