Laura Perrotta, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR), said that ending the California-inspired electric vehicle (EV) mandates restores consumer choice and affordability in New Jersey. She noted that the state currently lacks sufficient charging infrastructure. This statement was made in a press release.
“The impossible EV auto and truck mandates created for California but adopted in New Jersey without a vote by our legislature,” said Perrotta. “New Jersey residents will now be able to choose the type of vehicle they buy, at a more affordable price, and they won’t have to cross the border to Pennsylvania to purchase the vehicle that meets their family’s needs. Our car buyers weren’t ready for these aggressive mandates and the elimination of vehicle choice. There is a complete lack of charging infrastructure in our state. With recent data from the Division of Consumer Affairs, New Jersey is ranked last in the nation in terms of the availability of EV charging stations per vehicle.”
According to NorthJersey, in December 2023, New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection adopted California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rules. These rules require that 100% of new light-duty vehicle sales be zero-emission by 2035 and were implemented without a direct vote from the state legislature. The adoption process followed an executive directive and public hearing, but lawmakers indicated that such significant mandates typically involve legislative debate and approval. Opponents argued that bypassing the legislature limited public and elected officials’ input on a major consumer policy change.
The U.S. Department of Energy reported that as of April 2024, New Jersey had approximately 1,571 public EV charging outlets despite having more than 91,000 electric vehicles registered. This results in one of the lowest charging infrastructure-to-vehicle ratios in the nation, placing New Jersey last among states for public chargers per EV with about 58 vehicles for every charging port compared to a national average of 18. Some stakeholders cite this data to argue that infrastructure is not keeping pace with regulatory targets.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s Q4 2023 report indicates that the average transaction price for a new EV was about $51,600 compared to approximately $48,300 for all new light-duty vehicles. This means EVs still sell at a $3,300 premium over the broader market. Despite a $12,000 year-over-year drop in EV prices, they remain nearly 19% more expensive than mainstream non-luxury gasoline models. State car dealers and legislators argue this cost gap could push New Jersey buyers to neighboring states without such EV requirements.
Perrotta is also President of the American Truck Dealers (ATD), a division of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), where she advocates on behalf of more than 1,800 franchised medium- and heavy-duty truck dealers nationwide. Before leading ATD, she was President and CEO of the American Highway Users Alliance and previously held senior legislative and government relations roles at both NADA and the American Traffic Safety Services Association. She has over sixteen years of experience in association leadership, began her policy career on Capitol Hill, and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Salisbury State University along with the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation.
