Volkswagen Settlement Powers Hoboken’s New Charging Stations

HOBOKEN, NJ — In a case of environmental irony, more than a dozen new electric vehicle charging stations in Hoboken will be paid for with trickle-down funds from a huge, nationwide settlement with Volkswagen, officials say.

On Wednesday, Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) awarded the City of Hoboken a $70,000 grant to purchase, install and maintain up to 14 electric vehicle charging stations.

A city spokesperson confirmed that the funds originated as part of a settlement between Volkswagen, the U.S. EPA and the California Air Resources Board. That agreement came amid allegations that the company’s “defeat devices” allowed many vehicles to spew pollutants without being detected by emissions-testing programs.

According to NJDEP officials, two partial consent decrees approved in 2016 and 2017 established a $2.93 billion environmental mitigation trust for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and federally recognized tribes. New Jersey eventually got $72.2 million in the deal.

Since then, Governor Phil Murphy has committed to using 15 percent ($10.8 million) of the settlement amount to build and maintain electric-vehicle charging stations throughout the state, DEP officials said.

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The DEP plans to use $3.2 million to award grants for roughly 827 charging outlets at 533 charging stations under the “It Pay$ to Plug In” program, doubling the number of non-residential charging outlets in New Jersey.

And soon, the Mile Square City will become one of the beneficiaries, officials said.

In Hoboken, 14 single-port electric charging stations will be installed in city parking garages, including Garage B and Midtown Garage, on Washington Street in front of City Hall, and in parking lots at the Public Works Garage and Hoboken Fire Headquarters, city officials said.

In addition, the charging stations at the Public Works Garage and at the Hoboken Fire Headquarters will allow the city to phase electric vehicles into its municipal fleet, officials stated.

The electric charging stations are anticipated to be installed in the allocated locations later this year, with details for public use to be announced in the coming months, city officials said.

“We want to make it easier for residents to own electric vehicles, which help reduce air pollution and emissions from traditional cars and improve our local environment,” Mayor Bhalla said. “This award for electric charging stations is the latest example of Hoboken’s commitment to pursuing green initiatives as a part of our Climate Action Plan, and I thank Governor Phil Murphy and the state DEP for their partnership.”

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