Environmental Advocates Rally For Electric Cars In Camden County

Environmental advocates converged on Camden County to call for greater electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the county and across the state on Thursday. Environment New Jersey and Jersey Renews joined local and legislative leaders at the Camden County Boathouse in Pennsauken, where there is already an electric vehicle charging station.

They called on legislators to pass proposed legislation that addresses pollution from cars, trucks and buses in the state. S2252/A4819 would establish goals, initiatives and programs to encourage and support the use of plug-in electric vehicles.

The senate bill was introduced in March 2018, and has been sitting in committee since October. The assembly bill was introduced in December, and no action has been taken since.

“Electric vehicles are here now, and New Jersey needs to do more to make it easier to plug in,” Environment New Jersey Director Doug O’Malley said. “Electrifying our transportation sector is one of the most critical things we can do to fight air pollution and climate change. By taking steps to improve our EV infrastructure and accelerate the transition to electric transportation, New Jersey can create the road map for other states to follow. Passing the electric vehicle omnibus bill is the best way to supercharge this transition to electric vehicles.”

The proposed legislation would create stronger cash incentives for electric vehicle buyers and calls for the installation of more than 1,000 charging stations across the state over the next two years.

There are 18 charging stations in Camden County, and advocates are calling for more to support the transition to electrifying cars, trucks and buses that pass through the region.

“We’re looking very closely at how Collingswood can incorporate more resources for electric vehicles,” Collingswood Mayor James Maley said. “It’s not a light lift, but we are on board for making greener options more readily available for everyone in the Borough. It’s important these kinds of initiatives are supported from the municipal to the federal level and everywhere in between if we expect to have any impact on our planet.”

In February, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announced electric vehicle charging stations would be installed across the state. This includes two Level 2 chargers for Haddon Heights, two for Cherry Hill, 16 at Rutgers-Camden, and two for Camden County. The announcement also included funding for an NJ Transit pilot of eight electric buses in Camden City.

The proposed legislation also calls on NJ TRANSIT to electrify its bus fleet and calls for the development of advanced solutions and other transportation alternatives.

“Increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road is a crucial step to meeting New Jersey’s emissions reduction goals,” New Jersey Work Environment Council Executive Director Debra Coyle McFadden said. “Transitioning our transportation infrastructure to electric is an opportunity to create good paying jobs, improve public health by reducing air pollution along well-traveled routes and mitigate our impact on the changing climate.”

There are 9 million people in New Jersey, and more than 3 million registered vehicles, advocates said.

According to the American Lung Association’s 2019 State of the Air report, Camden County failed to meet ozone protection levels under current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health standards. There were 31 Orange Alert days, and more than 43,000 children and adults in Camden County have been diagnosed as asthmatic.

“Environment New Jersey is rightfully bringing attention to energy-efficient and renewable options with their electric vehicle showcase events,” Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1) said. “By embracing our clean-energy future, our country can add good paying-jobs and improve the economy overall. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, our economy and our national security, let’s work together to limit pollutants and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”

“New Jersey new car and truck dealers are all-in on electric vehicles,” New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers President Jim Appleton said. “With an extensive network of more than 500 locations across the state to display, demonstrate and service electric vehicles, New Jersey’s neighborhood new car dealers offer the best, most promising way to market and promote EVs to the broadest cross-section of potential new car buyers. Consumers are just now becoming aware that New Jersey new car dealers currently offer more than 60 models of electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles from 25 different manufacturers. And the really exciting news is that dozens more are expected in the next few years.”

“It’s encouraging to see industry focused on the next generation of environmentally safe transportation options that won’t leave our children and grandchildren with a more polluted world,” Assemblyman William Spearman (D-5) said. “Establishing a 21st century electric vehicle charging infrastructure would be an important step toward the goal of eliminating greenhouse gases from our transportation system.”