Electric Cars Picking Up Steam In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — They may run on electricity, but they’re picking up steam in Essex County. On Friday, Essex County officials celebrated the installation of a public-use, electric vehicle charging station at the Department of Public Works Building on Bloomfield Avenue in Verona.

According to county officials, the new station in Verona is the third site where the county is offering the electric car charging stations for public use. In 2016, Essex County unveiled its first two electric car charging stations on the ground level in the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo Parking Garage at the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex and the first level of the parking garage in the Juror’s Parking Lot outside of the Essex County Veterans Courthouse.

It's free for owners of electric motor vehicles to fill up at the "six pumps." There are no attendants at the stations. Instead, the county is relying on motorists’ courtesy to not monopolize use of the spaces, officials said.

Essex County partnered with ChargePoint for the stations; owners of electric motor vehicles need a ChargePoint account to operate the electric pumps. If they need an account, drivers can sign up for one at the pump.

“It's important for governments to keep pace with the changing needs of their residents," Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. "More and more people are looking different transportation options that are more efficient and have less impact on the environment, and providing public charging stations throughout the County makes electric cars more feasible."

"We hope the visibility of these charging facilities help promote alternative fuel automobiles," he added.

"This is the second electric charging station in my district and I am happy to hear that there are plans for more in the future," Essex County Freeholder Leonard Luciano said.

Locally, it isn’t just Essex County that’s been picking up on the need for electric car chargers to support an increasing consumer market.

In April, the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange received a jolt of juice when park officials switched on its first electric vehicle charging station, located in the laboratory complex's visitor parking area.

• See related article: Thomas Edison National Park In West Orange Gets Electric

The Livingston Mall installed an electric vehicle charging location in 2015.

"Adding car charging stations to the area illustrates the many opportunities we have as a company to incorporate sustainable practices into our day-to-day operations," said John Westbrook, general manager for Livingston Mall.

• See related article: Livingston Mall Now Has An Electric Vehicle Charger Station

In 2013, Newark became home to the state's "largest electric-car charging station" at PSE&G's headquarters in the city.

• See related article: State's Largest Electric Car Charging Facility Opens in Newark

In 2016, the American Lung Association of California estimated that New Jersey might be able to save more than $4 billion in healthcare and climate costs by 2050 if its drivers switch from gas-guzzling automobiles to zero-emission vehicles such as electric cars.

• See related article: N.J. Could Save $4B With Switch To Electric Cars and ZEVs: Study

The sale of electric vehicles is blooming in the Garden State, with registration of model year 2016 plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) up 79 percent from 2015, according to a recent analysis by ChargEVC, an industry advocacy nonprofit group.

New Jersey now has over 10,000 PEVs on the road, 60 percent of which have been sold in the last two years, the study claims.

• See related article: New Jersey Drivers Warming Up To Electric Vehicles, Study Says

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Photo via Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr.