Thinking of buying an electric car? Charging it is about to get easier.
If you’re considering taking the plunge and buying an electric vehicle (EV), making the switch is about to become easier. Many prospective EV-buyers, however, are rightfully concerned about vehicle range and charging accessibility — if there’s nowhere to charge, there’s nowhere to go. Fortunately, more charging stations are coming soon to New Jersey.
By Kayla Brandt, communications intern
If you’re considering taking the plunge and buying an electric vehicle (EV), making the switch is about to become easier. Many prospective EV-buyers, however, are rightfully concerned about vehicle range and charging accessibility — if there’s nowhere to charge, there’s nowhere to go.
Fortunately, more charging stations are coming soon to New Jersey.
What happened: On Aug. 27, the New Jersey state Senate passed a bill (A3367/S1951) that would encourage members of common interest communities to install EV charging stations for at-home use by preventing condo or homeowner associations from establishing rules to bar their installation. Environment New Jersey’s Destination: Zero Carbon team is urging Gov. Phil Murphy to sign this bill into law as soon as possible.
Why it matters: As we know, EVs are the key to a future that’s healthy and fossil fuel-free. Traditional gasoline-powered vehicles are a major source of air pollution, accounting for 55 percent of the United States’ total nitrogen oxides emissions. This pollutant helps make up what we call smog, which contributes to higher rates of asthma and respiratory infections in our communities.
Transportation is also America’s No. 1 source of global warming pollution, which is driving climate change and contributing to the environmental disasters we’re seeing today. In New Jersey, it’s responsible for 42 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions.
The big picture: New Jersey is currently aiming to put 330,000 EVs on the road by 2025. This latest bill will be crucial to helping our state reach its EV goals.
But while this new bill is just the latest step, we need to make the EV infrastructure that’s already out there even better. To improve on the systems already in place, Environment New Jersey will continue to advocate for policies to make existing EVs and charging stations more accessible and usable throughout our state.
That means we’re going to keep pushing for policies that expand public charging capacity, ensure EV spaces are open for EVs, and increase the visibility and price transparency of public charging stations. But in order to do so, we need your help.
What you can do about it: Contact Gov. Murphy and urge him to sign bill A3367/S1951 and expand EV charging capacity throughout New Jersey.
Learn more: Visit our website to learn more about EV charging stations and our Destination: Zero Carbon campaign.
