Source: EV Hub data on Volkswagen Settlement allocations in 2021.
New Jersey is having its moment in the sun. Governor Phil Murphy recently announced the state is looking to adopt California’s Advanced Clean Truck Rule. The rule requires an increasing percentage of new truck sales to be electric through 2035. Critics argue that there is a need for more incentives to purchase electric trucks and better charging infrastructure. To support the transition, New Jersey launched a $15 million pilot program offering $100,000 incentives for electric truck purchases.
Meanwhile, New Jersey leads all states in Volkswagen Settlement allocations for 2021 and maintains a perfect record in funding only electrification initiatives with the Settlement funds.
For consumers, Governor Murphy recently announced a $5,000 rebate for all new electric vehicle purchases. This rebate continues a program that ended in December 2020. In June, we reported that the Murphy Administration trails only California and New York in government spending on electric vehicles, with the state allocating $123 million to date.
According to Atlas EV Hub data, New Jersey ranks eighth in the country in EV sales per capita since 2011 and trails the top 7 states in Level 2 (L2) ports and DC fast chargers (DCFC). In 2020, Murphy signed into law a bill requiring DCFC every 25 miles along major roads in the state.
Utility investment in charging infrastructure may also prove to be crucial in plugging the gap. New Jersey utilities have spent big on electric vehicle initiatives in 2021. Atlas EV Hub has tracked $205 million in approved funding from Public Service Electric and Gas Company in 2021– nearly half of all national approved utility investment over the period. The funding will support 43,500 L2 ports and 1,200 DCFC in the state. Two other NJ utilities – Jersey Central Power & Light and Atlantic City Electric – have also been approved for, or are pending approval, for more than $70 million in electric investment in 2021 alone. This investment will see 620 DCFC and nearly 11,000 L2 chargers installed.
Transportation electrification is particularly important in New Jersey given that transport makes up more than 40% of emissions there.
All this movement has led Politico to question if New Jersey is the California of the East (Murphy declared something similar back in 2017). With a gubernatorial election in November, Governor Murphy looks to be sheering up support to show that things are moving and shaking in the Garden State.
