DELIVERED!!! A long time coming!!

[jparduhn70]

I live in Illinois also and have Vietnam Era Veteran plates; will I be able to switch them to the MME when it comes in? I thought we had to have EL plates. Is the legislature trying to change that policy in this session? It is my understanding that they used to allow vanity and personalized EL plates but then the police complained about them and they passed the current law. I'm confused here.

Their plan is to pass a modification to the original statute that will allow people to transfer their existing vanity or specialty plates to an electric vehicle and just pay the $250 fuel tax replacement fee. You're correct, as of today, we need to have EL plates until the state legislature does their part. Reach out to your state representative for details. The state reps are communicating directly with the Secretary of State and putting peoples' names on a list so your transfer fees get waived. Hope this makes sense.

Sponsored

 

[Maquis]

I live in Illinois also and have Vietnam Era Veteran plates; will I be able to switch them to the MME when it comes in? I thought we had to have EL plates. Is the legislature trying to change that policy in this session? It is my understanding that they used to allow vanity and personalized EL plates but then the police complained about them and they passed the current law. I'm confused here.

Here's my understanding:

Originally, there was no EV plate - you could put any automobile plate on your EV. Legislature decided that since EVs don't pay any motor fuel taxes, they need to be charged a different (higher) plate fee. Instead of simply adding a surcharge for EVs, they came up with the bright (not) idea of requiring a bespoke EV plate.

So currently, we will have to buy a new EV plate when we get our EV.
According to jparduhn70, the legislature is looking to fix this, so you should hang on to your current specialty plate and transfer it once the law is changed.

Me thinks the whole police visibility thing is urban legend.

 

[Illinibird]

Their plan is to pass a modification to the original statute that will allow people to transfer their existing vanity or specialty plates to an electric vehicle and just pay the $250 fuel tax replacement fee. You're correct, as of today, we need to have EL plates until the state legislature does their part. Reach out to your state representative for details. The state reps are communicating directly with the Secretary of State and putting peoples' names on a list so your transfer fees get waived. Hope this makes sense.

What is the name/number of the bill to allow this? I'll e-mail my rep and tell him/her I want this changed. Public Act 101-0032 is what I want changed?

 

[Illinibird]

Here's my understanding:

Originally, there was no EV plate - you could put any automobile plate on your EV. Legislature decided that since EVs don't pay any motor fuel taxes, they need to be charged a different (higher) plate fee. Instead of simply adding a surcharge for EVs, they came up with the bright (not) idea of requiring a bespoke EV plate.

So currently, we will have to buy a new EV plate when we get our EV.
According to jparduhn70, the legislature is looking to fix this, so you should hang on to your current specialty plate and transfer it once the law is changed.

Me thinks the whole police visibility thing is urban legend.

Thank you for clarifying this. Do you know the number of the bill to change the plate law so I can write my state rep.

 

[jparduhn70]

What is the name/number of the bill to allow this? I'll e-mail my rep and tell him/her I want this changed. Public Act 101-0032 is what I want changed?

Yes, refer to that.

 

[jparduhn70]

Thank you for clarifying this. Do you know the number of the bill to change the plate law so I can write my state rep.

No one has told me what the bill number is since I've been communicating with them.

 

[Illinibird]

No one has told me what the bill number is since I've been communicating with them.

OK - I'm going to e-mail Tim Ozinga who is my state rep.
EDIT: DONE! I just e-mailed him.

 

[Maquis]

Thank you for clarifying this. Do you know the number of the bill to change the plate law so I can write my state rep.

I did a quick search and found SB0573 (just introduced yesterday).

From the synopsis: " Makes electric motorcycles subject to additional fees for electric vehicles and allows vanity and personalized plates to be issued to owners of electric vehicles. "

Here is the search site: https://www.ilga.gov/search/

 

[buffasnow]

It is my understanding that they used to allow vanity and personalized EL plates but then the police complained about them and they passed the current law. I'm confused here.

Curious - if vanity plates are OK on ICE vehicles, why would cops care if they are on EVs?

Me thinks the whole police visibility thing is urban legend.

Ah.

 

[Maquis]

Curious - if vanity plates are OK on ICE vehicles, why would cops care if they are on EVs?

The reason for EV plates was to charge a higher rate. Our legislators weren't bright enough to realize they could do that without requiring a specific plate.

 

[Illinibird]

Curious - if vanity plates are OK on ICE vehicles, why would cops care if they are on EVs?



Ah.

Exactly! I now don't think this is the reason though. Somebody from DMV probably didn't want to deal with electric vehicle owners who currently own vanity or personalized plates to keep track to charge them more.

 

[Illinibird]

I did a quick search and found SB0573 (just introduced yesterday).

From the synopsis: " Makes electric motorcycles subject to additional fees for electric vehicles and allows vanity and personalized plates to be issued to owners of electric vehicles. "

Here is the search site: https://www.ilga.gov/search/

OK - I just e-mailed my State Representative so now I need to e-mail our State Senators. Senate Bill 0573.

I did a quick search and found SB0573 (just introduced yesterday).

From the synopsis: " Makes electric motorcycles subject to additional fees for electric vehicles and allows vanity and personalized plates to be issued to owners of electric vehicles. "

Here is the search site: https://www.ilga.gov/search/

I just e-mailed my state senator (Senator Hastings) and asked him to support SB0573.

 

[jparduhn70]

I did a quick search and found SB0573 (just introduced yesterday).

From the synopsis: " Makes electric motorcycles subject to additional fees for electric vehicles and allows vanity and personalized plates to be issued to owners of electric vehicles. "

Here is the search site: https://www.ilga.gov/search/

Nice! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Illinibird]

Just got a reply back -

Pretty generic and vanilla but at least he answered promptly. I had to message/e-mail him on his web page so I don't have a copy of what I sent him. Senator Hastings is my state senator.

 

[jparduhn70]

Just got a reply back -

Pretty generic and vanilla but at least he answered promptly. I had to message/e-mail him on his web page so I don't have a copy of what I sent him. Senator Hastings is my state senator.

Reviving an old conversation here for my fellow Illinois MME owners @Illinibird, @Maquis, and others. If I'm reading the General Assembly vote schedule correctly, the bill passed committee on 5/12 and is headed for a House vote for July 1 implementation. Since I first inquired about moving my universal veteran plate late last fall, I was declared 50% disabled by the VA and can get my ISERVE plates from the state. They're holding my plate until the law goes into effect, at which time I send them a copy of my current EL plate registration to get those plates. Not sure how they're going to implement the EV fees to it, but at least my registration on the vehicle will be at no charge.