Businesses and institutional organizations in the Greater New Brunswick area can now apply for vouchers to offset the cost of purchasing zero-emission vehicles under the $9.25 million expansion of the state’s Zero Emission Incentive Program (NJ ZIP) announced this week.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority launched the initial $15 million NJ ZIP program earlier this year in the greater Camden and greater Newark areas. As of Wednesday, NJEDA had received 38 applications for a total of 148 zero-emission medium-duty vans and trucks from businesses and institutions located in or near those two cities.
“Getting more zero-emission vehicles on the roads is a key step in New Jersey’s response to climate change and improving health outcomes in our overburdened communities – and just makes good economic sense for our small businesses,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan.
The latest expansion of the program opens it to businesses and institutions located in the following communities located in a 10-mile radius of New Brunswick: Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Clark, Dunellen, East Brunswick, Edison, Franklin, Green Brook, Highland Park, Hillsborough, Jamesburg, Manville, Metuchen, Middlesex, Monroe, Montgomery, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, North Plainfield, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, Plainfield, Raritan, Sayreville, Scotch Plains, Somerville, South Amboy, South Bound Brook, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, South River, Spotswood, and Woodbridge.
Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis and can be found at http://www.njeda.com/njzip.
As in the initial phase of the NJ ZIP pilot program, businesses and organizations in the designated communities can apply for vouchers to purchase new, Class 2b to Class 6 zero-emission MDVs. The size of vouchers awarded through the program varies depending on the class of vehicle being purchased, from a minimum of $25,000 for Class 2b vehicles to $100,000 for Class 6 vehicles.
Bonuses are available for small businesses (fewer than 25 staff or less than $5 million in annual revenues); women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses; vehicles that are manufactured in New Jersey; and small businesses that scrap existing vehicles.
The expansion of the program will continue to be funded using proceeds from New Jersey’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state “cap-and-trade” program regulating carbon dioxide emissions.
Vouchers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Based on the continued positive results of this expansion of the pilot program, additional expansions or a longer-term program with expanded eligibility may be proposed, state officials said.
