By Tom Johnson, NJ Spotlight
The Murphy administration is proposing a new rule that would phase out the sale of new gasoline light-duty vehicles by 2035, joining California and up to a dozen other states moving to transition to zero-emission vehicles.
The proposal, expected to be published in the New Jersey Register later next month, aims to reduce the pollution causing global warming by electrifying transportation in New Jersey, the single largest source of that pollution in the state.
The initiative is strongly backed by environmentalists and clean energy advocates as critical to achieving the state’s goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 2006 levels by mid-century. Curtailing the use of gasoline-powered vehicles is also necessary to improve air quality in many urban and disadvantaged areas whose residents disproportionally suffer negative health effects from such emissions.
If adopted, the rule would ramp up sales requirements for new passenger vehicle cars and light trucks to primarily electric vehicles over the course of the next decade with a 100% EV sales requirement by 2035.
Publishing the proposed rule by August 21 and adopting it by the end of the calendar year will trigger the sales requirements to kick in by the model year 2027.
“By filing the proposal, we build upon our nation-leading record of bold climate action while delivering on our promise to utilize every tool at our disposal to combat the intensifying climate crisis,’’ Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.
But a trade group representing car dealers, while supporting the transition to electric vehicles, opposes the so-called California Advanced Clean Car II rule, saying it will negatively affect the affordability of cars and limit choice by consumers.
In New Jersey, consumers are already facing difficulties in obtaining some brands of new vehicles, according to car dealers. In some cases, only the more expensive electric vehicles are available.
“Limiting access to inventory drives up profit for manufacturers, profitability for dealers,’’ but is bad for consumers,’’ said James Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers.
But by waiting until the model year 2027 for the rule to go into effect means 90,000 fewer electric vehicles on the road by 2030, according to supporters of the program.
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