Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths (R-24) on Monday asked the state Department of Environmental Protection to repeal a proposed regulation that will ban the sale of new gas cars in New Jersey by 2035 and start mandated targets of EV sales starting in 2027.
The lawmakers called the proposed rule “completely unrealistic.”
“Realistically, New Jersey will attain a 100% EV sales market when consumers elect to buy zero-emission vehicles, not when government mandates them,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to DEP opposing the state’s adoption of California’s Advanced Clean Cars II rule.
“Consumers have signaled that they have serious concerns about ready access to EV charging stations, accommodating the longer time needed to charge EVs as well as ‘range anxiety’ for how long a charge will last. Limiting choice, when one is in the market to purchase a new vehicle, is clearly not in the best interest of New Jersey consumers.”
The District 24 representatives have joined a growing chorus of voices from both sides of the aisle opposing the proposed DEP mandate, which could be approved by the end of the year.
Last month, Vin Gopal, a Democratic senator from District 11 with a history of support for environmental protections in New Jersey, warned of the unintended consequences of Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed ban of the sale of new gas cars in the state by 2035 in an Asbury Park Press OpEd.
Former state Assemblyman John Burzichelli, a Democrat now running for Senate in District 3 and an electric vehicle owner himself, also told the state DEP earlier this month that such mandate won’t work for New Jersey residents.
Additionally, as part of NJBIA’s campaign to stop the DEP’s proposed ban of the sale of new gas cars by 2035, nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents have sent letters to legislators encouraging them to step in. Thousands more have vehemently opposed the mandate on NJBIA’s Facebook posts.
In a press release accompanying the letter, asked why legislative leaders have not called for a vote in both houses, given that no New Jersey legislator has come out in support of the proposed DEP rule.
“Aside from the severe economic implications such a ban on the combustion engine will have, this is something we believe the executive branch has no legislative authority to accomplish,” Space said.
New Jersey residents have until October 20 time to file a comment with the DEP, which can be entered electronically into the DEP webpage at www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments.
