Illinois adding more electric vehicles than ever before, but not enough to meet goal of 1 million by 2030
The number of electric vehicles registered in Illinois last year increased by nearly 37,000, the largest year-to-year spike since the state began keeping track in 2017.
However, according to figures recently released by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, there are still less than 150,000 EVs registered statewide, well below the state’s targeted goal of 1 million by 2030.
Infrastructure issues also make that goal difficult to reach though, many experts contend.
“We don’t have enough power to meet the goal of a million (electric) vehicles at this point,” said John Walton, former chairman and current emeritus board member of the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation.
EVs make up a little more than 1% of all vehicles registered in Illinois, according to state figures. Some worry the growth could slow though with an end to federal rebates on the horizon.
“We’ll see what happens when federal financing goes away in September,” Walton added.
| Statewide | Suburban Cook County | DuPage County | Kane County | Lake County | McHenry County | Will County | |
| 2025 | 145,083 | 38,974 | 21,961 | 6,448 | 16,379 | 3,683 | 10,803 |
| 2024 | 108,205 | 29,054 | 16,663 | 4,598 | 12,444 | 2,638 | 7,634 |
| 2023 | 76,071 | 20,977 | 11,729 | 3,033 | 8,836 | 1,179 | 4,962 |
| Source: Illinois Secretary of State | |||||||
As part of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a $7,500 tax credit for the purchase of a new electric vehicle ends Sept. 30. The $4,000 tax credit for purchasing a used electric vehicle is going away as well.
Between July 2024 and July 2025, there were 36,878 new EV registrations, the secretary of state’s office reported. The year before, the state recorded 32,134 new EV registrations, while the year before that there were 29,426 new registrations for electric vehicles in Illinois.
Walton said the goal of rebates was to help lower prices for electric vehicles, which has occurred. New entry-level EVs run about $30,000, he said.
The average price for any new car in the U.S. is about $50,000.
Illinois charges electric vehicle owners an additional $100 per vehicle as part of the annual registration fees. The fee is intended to cover the loss of motor fuel tax revenues that go to pay for road construction and repairs statewide.
With 145,083 electric vehicles now registered statewide, that means the state received an additional $14.5 million from EV registrations in the last year. That’s nearly double the $7.6 million received two years ago.
The EV registration fee has remained stagnant while motor fuel taxes increase annually by the rate of inflation. This year, the owner of a vehicle powered by gasoline or diesel can expect to pay about $6 more in motor fuel taxes on average after the most recent hike went into effect in July.
The suburbs are home to more than two-thirds of all electric vehicles registered throughout the state, records show. There are just under 100,000 EVs registered in suburban Cook County as well as the five collar counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will.
Suburban Cook County remains the largest hub of registered EV vehicles with 38,974. That’s up from 20,977 two years ago.
The number of electric vehicles has more than tripled in McHenry County from two years ago, and more than doubled in both Kane and Will counties, according to state records.