Working for Illinois Caucus

ROCKFORD (WREX) — A Rockford-area lawmaker has filed a bill that provides tax incentives for auto producers that make electric vehicles.

Rep. Dave Vella (D) filed House Bill 4155 earlier this week. 

The legislation provides tax credits to auto producers who add or retain at least 1,000 jobs in an electric vehicle-producing plant. The tax credits can be used for various costs that support the plant, such as job training and construction costs.  

“With electric vehicles becoming more and more popular, we have an opportunity to bring thousands of jobs to the Rockford area and Illinois as a whole by making our state more attractive to auto manufacturers,” said Vella. “This legislation rewards manufacturers that invest in their Illinois-based plants and employees. With an auto plant in our community, this bill would create a major investment in our local economy.”

Currently, the auto industry is being impacted by a global shortage of microchips. 

In January, CNN reported carmakers across the world are facing a shortage of semiconductors, which are used in a growing number of applications, including driver assistance systems and navigation control. The average car has between 50 to 150 chips.

The shortage has impacted car manufacturers across the world, including in the Stateline at the Stellantis assembly plant in Belvidere.

The plant has been temporarily shut down on several occasions since late March and has moved from three shifts down to two.