ChargEVC-NJ Releases Updated Report Making the Case For New Jersey Joining California’s Clean Truck Rules
Highland Park, NJ–New Jersey has a small window of opportunity to establish the momentum necessary to meet our state goals. What we do over the next four years matters. If growth of electric vehicles (EVs) remains modest through 2025, exceptionally high and likely unattainable growth levels would be required to meet the goals in 2035 and 2050.
The good news is while 2020 was an anomaly in almost every sense, New Jersey’s EV market remained strong with 46% growth in light-duty EV sales between 2019 and 2020. The resiliency of the EV market during the COVID-19 pandemic is encouraging as New Jersey aims to reach the goal of 330,000 light-duty EVs on the road by 2025. Sales will need to average at least 53% year over year growth in order to reach the 2025 goal.
“Even during a pandemic and an economic crisis, we saw that there really is public demand for EVs,” Pam Frank, CEO of ChargEVC-NJ continued, “This is why it makes sense to accelerate spending on EV incentives over the next five years when the accelerated growth and incentives are needed the most.”
It’s also good news that the state is turning its’ attention to the medium and heavy-duty segment, triggered by directive in the EV Law that mandates the establishment of goals, along with the policies and programs to help meet those goals.
ChargEVC-NJ’s update to its Full Market Vehicle Electrification in New Jersey Study looked at data on all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the state by class and found that a majority are medium-duty vehicles. (The original study can be found here). This finding presents a highly strategic opportunity for electrification in New Jersey as there are strong electric options available for many vehicles in this segment available today.
New Jersey is prioritizing electrification of the medium- and heavy-duty segment even further by proposing adoption of California’s Advanced Clean Truck Rules (ACT) – the second state in the nation to do so behind California. Adoption of these rules would require manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to participate in a credit/deficit program intended to increase the percentage of zero-emission vehicles sold in New Jersey. Adoption of these rules will have a hugely positive impact in electrifying this segment only if the rule adoption is coupled with the necessary incentives – for the vehicles and for the charging infrastructure – that make these vehicles attractive to the end users.
This summer is a busy time as we await a proposal from the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), expected at the end of June on infrastructure to support electrification of the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle segment along with the resumption of the popular Charge Up New Jersey EV rebate program in July. We also look forward to a resolution of the two remaining EV utility filings from JCP&L and Rockland Electric that will help to ensure full coverage of public fast chargers throughout New Jersey.
The EV adoption goals for New Jersey are ambitious, but they are also necessary. All of these initiatives must be prioritized together in order to achieve the state’s emissions reductions and clear air goals.
LINK TO FULL MARKET UPDATE HERE.
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ChargEVC-NJ is a not-for-profit coalition of diverse stakeholders that includes retail automotive dealers, utilities, consumer and equity advocates, environmental and labor organizations and technology companies. See www.chargevc.org for more information.