By Brenda Flanagan, Senior Correspondent, NJTV News
It’s called “range anxiety” — the fear among prospective purchasers of electric vehicles who love the idea of driving an environmentally friendly car but worry about running out of juice out on the road somewhere.
Environmentalists and some lawmakers say a bill pending before state Legislature offers a solution, authorizing $150 million to build a state-wide network of 1,000 community chargers and 600 souped-up charging stations over the next couple of years.
The measure would also make it easier for people to acquire electric cars in the first place, by offering rebates from Trenton to purchasers. But some worry about the costs associated with the bill.
Nearly half of New Jersey’s greenhouse-gas pollution comes from the transportation sector. The bill sets a state goal of getting 330,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2025. Initial estimates of the cost of the rebates, perhaps $5,000 per car, are $30 million a year.
For proponents, the benefits of championing electric vehicles are clear, as a big help in the battle against a warming planet. Electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions, and are 70% cleaner than gas-powered cars, when all factors such as generating the electricity they run on are considered. But the vehicles are generally pricy, and inducements are needed to get people on board, advocates say.
“We also have to make sure that the rebate program is robust — and that people can afford these and feel comfortable about buying them,” said Sen. Linda Greenstein, the Mercer/Middlesex Democrat who’s a primary sponsor of the proposal. “But I think this bill is going to give us a giant step in that direction.”
At the same time, though, the state Rate Counsel and business interests have raised concerns about costs, specifically where the money for rebates and the charging network will come from.
The bill states electric utility companies can recover some costs with rate increases, overseen by the state Board of Public Utilities. The state will also get money from rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a consortium of states that work together to reduce emissions.
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