EVs Everywhere: Murphy Administration Implements EV Law To Get Electric Vehicle Charging in Every Town By Releasing Municipal Ordinance

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Hayley Berliner

Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center

Trenton – Today, the Murphy Administration implemented legislation, signed by the Governor in early July, to streamline EV installation so every town in the state can have a publicly available EV charger available. The Administration released a model ordinance to guide municipalities in the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This municipal ordinance simplifies the approval process for installing charging stations by providing minimum requirements and guidelines. The ordinance goes into effect immediately in every municipality in the state.

New Jersey has ambitious electric vehicle mandates through the Clean Cars program and the 2020 EV bill, including a requirement for more than 330,000 electric vehicles on the road by December 2025. As of December 2020, only 41,096 EVs were registered in New Jersey. The biggest barrier to electric vehicle adoption is range anxiety, or the fear of not being able to find a place to charge one’s vehicle. About 70% of all EV charging is done at home, but only for those who have access. This ordinance will ensure that Make-Ready parking spaces and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) are permitted uses, increasing access to charging stations to people in urban areas, those without garages, and drivers that need to top off their vehicles.

Hayley Berliner, Clean Energy Advocate with Environment New Jersey issued the following statement:

“Every EV driver should be able to find an EV charger in their hometown. Even as the driving range for EV batteries increase, range anxiety remains the biggest hurdle for potential EV owners. And EV chargers are hardly as common a sight in our downtowns as gas stations. Finding a place to plug in should be easy in every town in the state — and every town should have a charger. The release of this model municipal ordinance by the Murphy Administration will make this process easier in every town in the state and will make it easier for drivers to go electric.

“The transportation sector is the largest source of air and carbon pollution in New Jersey, dirtying our air and changing our climate. We need to electrify everything on wheels to protect public health and mitigate our impact on the climate. This statewide municipal ordinance is a great step in that direction to build out the necessary charging infrastructure to support New Jersey’s ever growing fleet of electric cars in every town. New Jersey needs a state-wide network of fast charging stations, especially along our highways and heavily trafficked roads, as we move forward to reach our electrification charging goals.”

 

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