And dealerships are making major investments to prepare for the sale and service of EVs. NJCAR reports that dealerships spent $169 million in 2022 and 2023, an average of $338,000 per dealer, to get ready for a possible market surge.
Though the DEP has mounted an aggressive campaign to convince state residents to "Drive Green," ultimately it will be the drivers in the country's most crowded state who will determine whether that goal is met.
Auto dealers "want to sell what consumers want to buy," said Jim Appleton, president of NJCAR, a nonprofit organization founded in 1918 serving more than 500 neighborhood new car and truck dealerships throughout the state. Car dealerships are a $40 billion a year business in New Jersey that employ 37,000 workers.
Appleton said consumers' hesitancy about buying EVs focuses on two factors – affordability and reliability.
"Many are still put off by the high price," he said. Prices for electric vehicles start about $42,000 to $43,000, but there are state and federal incentives to buy electric vehicles and there is no sales tax in New Jersey, bringing the cost down to under $30,000.
But like many government programs, the incentives are not easily understood.
The other factor, Appleton said, are questions about reliability and the ability to find charging stations.
"Consumers are not necessarily comfortable with the answers they're getting," said Appleton, who has annually driven an EV 30,000 miles for years and "rarely has to charge away from home." He said he drives for about 300 miles on one charge.
Many times, a consumer will come into a dealership excited about buying an EV, then goes home, sleeps on it, then comes back the next day and buys a hybrid, Appleton said.
Plug-in hybrids may be a comfortable transition to completely battery-run vehicles, he said. Plug-in hybrids can offer the best of both gasoline and EVs. For short trips around home, you can drive on a battery and for longer trips, you have the flexibility of gasoline and don't have to worry about finding a charging station.
The power of the individual consumer in the free marketplace will determine whether New Jersey will meet its EV goals in the next decade, Appleton said.
New Jersey is taking steps to adopt California's Advanced Clean Cars II standards which calls for the 100% goal by 2035. This year's goal, according to the standards, is 22% and even California is not making it, Appleton said.
The next primary challenges facing dealers selling EVs are affordability and offering choices, Appleton said.
But consumers of any product bristle at government mandates.
The consumers can also "pressure" the government to change its policies, he said.
"Gov. Murphy should spend an hour in a showroom," Appleton said.
Why EVs?
The DEP is leading the charge for EVs.
Its Drive Green campaign answers the questions many residents have about buying EVs and their economic and environmental benefits.
The DEP says the state has some of the best incentives in the country to go electric. There is no sales tax charged on the sale of EVs. The Charge Up New Jersey program offers incentives of up to $4,000 for the purchase or lease of eligible EVs and $250 for purchasing an eligible EV charger.
The DEP also emphasizes the money savings from owning an EV. Most new EVs can go 200-300 miles on a single charge, according to the DEP, and with daily travel of 40 miles or less on U.S. average, drivers may only need to charge once every few days.
The DEP also makes the environmental case for buying electric.
Emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles account for 37% of all greenhouse gases in New Jersey, the largest source of emissions in the state. The switch to EVs can help slow climate change, according to the DEP.
EVs by county in Central Jersey
Middlesex, 15,332
Somerset, 7,844
Hunterdon, 2,210
Union, 5,890
Though Somerset County ranks 13th in population among the state's 21 counties, it has the sixth most EV registrations. Middlesex is second in the state.
The county with the most EVs is Bergen (17,670) and the counties with the least are Salem (287), Cumberland (506), Cape May (789) and Warren (798).
Teslas by zip code in Central Jersey
Monroe (08831), 468
Edison (08820), 444
Piscataway (08854), 224
Hillsborough (08844), 216
Monmouth Junction (08852), 197
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
