Governor Murphy Joins Other Leading States in Proposing Clean Cars Rules to Achieve 100% Sales of EVs by 2035
Highland Park, NJ—The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) has proposed that New Jersey adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulations, which requires manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of new zero-emission cars and light-duty trucks. By 2035, the rules require 100% of new vehicle sales be zero-emission vehicles. ACC II is a hugely impactful step, accelerating the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on our roads, reducing emissions from the transportation sector—the largest source of greenhouse gas and health-impacting emissions in New Jersey—and incentivizing the placement of these vehicles in environmental justice communities disproportionately impacted by vehicle pollution.
“The transportation sector remains New Jersey’s single biggest source of carbon pollution,” said Kathy Harris, Senior Clean Vehicles and Fuels Advocate, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “In the face of heat waves and violent storms, New Jersey has rightfully proposed adopting the ACC II standard to help in the climate fight, along with several other states have. And it’s not just the climate—it’s our neighbors who are impacted by tail pipe pollution. According to a May 2023 report, by 2050, New Jersey can avoid up to 362 hospital visits and save drivers nearly $60 billion by adopting the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which will accelerate the number of electric cars and light-duty trucks on our roads.”
In line with ACC II, ChargEVC-NJ set a goal for New Jersey to achieve 100% of all new light-duty sales and leases to be plug-in EVs by 2035 in ChargEVC-NJ’s Roadmap 2.0. This goal is an increase over the current goals established in New Jersey’s 2020 Electric Vehicle (EV) Law, requiring 85% new light-duty EV sales by 2040. The Roadmap’s goals align with the automotive industry, which is committed to the transition to EVs, with major auto companies such as General Motors, Ford, and Volvo already committed to 100% electrification and releasing an increasing number of EVs.
Adopting these rules by the end of the year will put New Jersey on par with other clean car states in the region: New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Virginia, which have already proposed or adopted the regulation. “This is another step in the right direction,” says Pam Frank, CEO of ChargEVC-NJ. “Now we all need to work to ensure rules get adopted by the end of the year, so we don’t lose a model year of compliance. Every moment counts—we cannot make this transition to clean transportation quickly enough.”
This announcement comes on the heels of the Charge Up New Jersey EV rebate program opening for its fourth program year. This has been a highly successful program, providing incentives to thousands of EVs that are now on the road in New Jersey. This program is one of the necessary tools that New Jersey must invest in to achieve the level of EV adoption required by ACC II. This program provides an incentive of up to $4,000 for the purchase of an EV under $45,000, the rebate for EVs between $45-55,000 have been slashed from $2,000 to $1,500.