What’s Happening

Last month, California announced it will phase out sales of internal combustion engine light-duty vehicles by 2035. Other states should join California in this effort to combat climate change and improve air quality around the country.

The California Air Resources Board adopted a policy known as Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII), which requires that auto manufacturers commit to selling only 100% zero-emission light-duty vehicles by 2035. This is a hugely impactful step in reducing emissions from the transportation sector, the largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions. New Jersey has already opted into CARB’s prior version of its clean-car standards, and the state should adopt this new set of standards.

In line with ACCII, ChargEVC’s Roadmap for Vehicle Electrification 2.0 set a goal for  100% of all new light-duty sales and leases in New Jersey to be plug-in EVs by 2035. This is an advancement over the current goals in New Jersey’s 2020 EV Law, which calls for 85% EV sales and leases by 2040. Much has changed since 2020. The goals of the roadmap are now in line with production commitments from a number of major vehicle manufacturers, including GM and Audi. Perhaps most important, this goal is in line with New Jersey’s own clean-energy goals set out in the state’s Energy Master Plan.

ChargEVC supports New Jersey opting into the revised California regulation and we urge Gov. Phil Murphy to engage in emergency rule-making that will follow the lead of other leading Northeast states. The impact of regulations in this market is well established with California’s leadership over the past 20 years bolstering the development of an electric car market.  

‘We need a plan’

However, as someone once said, a goal without a plan is just a wish. As outlined in the ChargEVC Full Market Electrification Study, the electricity required to fuel electric vehicles must be managed in a way that has never been done before — with grid management, investment in energy storage and a commitment to shifting usage to off-peak periods — to realize maximum benefits and ensure reliability. We need a plan. Adopting the regulations means that New Jersey must also ensure the grid can manage the increased demand from electric vehicles to the maximum benefit of all New Jersey’s electric customers. 

Part of that plan should include innovation in how policies and programs are developed to meet the moment. For instance, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities shared its intention over a year ago to issue an order to guide utilities in helping to develop the medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle market. That order was informed by a proposal and stakeholder feedback. While this sounds like a reasonable process, the market has been waiting all this time for a second straw proposal, after which there will be additional time needed for stakeholder feedback before a final order can be issued. This process creates unnecessary delays in market development and a needless burden on a state agency.

Innovation is not just important in technology, it’s also important for governmental processes. This is especially true today, given how quickly everything is changing. While we recognize there is a tension in signing up for even more ambitious regulations with all the challenges we now face, the frightening message of climate change is delivered on our front pages every day. We need to do more and do it faster.

Murphy recently upped New Jersey’s game on offshore wind with the increased goal of generating 11,000 megawatts by 2040. We need to do the same on electric transportation — and be all-in on how we generate and use clean electricity.