BUCCO, TORRISSI SUPPORT LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS ON NJDEP EV MANDATES

August 15, 2024

Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco (R-25) and Assemblyman Michael Torrissi Jr. (R-08) expressed support for legislative hearings regarding electric vehicle (EV) mandates that were recently approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

“State bureaucrat employees should not be circumventing the duly elected Legislature by imposing restrictive California-style mandates on residents and businesses,” said Sen. Bucco. “Instead of bypassing the Legislature, we should be as transparent as possible by giving stakeholders a platform and providing them an opportunity to be part of the conversation in order to find the best solution for all New Jerseyans.”

The NJDEP adopted two significant mandates, the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) and the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT), which closely align New Jersey’s vehicle electrification requirements with California’s standards.

Senator Bucco recognized the concerns raised by key stakeholders including the New Jersey Motor Truck Association, the Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Propane Gas Association–who requested a legislative hearing to address the cost of complying with trucking electrification, which they say will inevitably result in increased costs for NJ consumers for delivered goods and services.

“We must ensure that any regulations implemented are reasonable, practical, and take into account the impact on our state’s residents and economy,” Bucco continued. “Hearing from stakeholders will help us better understand the potential impacts of these mandates and allow us to develop a more balanced and practical approach.”

Assemblyman Torrissi, who owns a New Jersey trucking company with nearly 500 trucks that transport petroleum, spoke on the huge economic impact this rule change could have.

“The financial impact of mandating electric trucks in New Jersey will be massive. Not only do electric trucks cost triple what diesel trucks cost, they also are substantially heavier, which would increase payloads and demand more trucks are deployed on the roads. This would have an outsized effect on increasing the cost of goods on a state that is already struggling through inflation,” said Torrissi, who owns Torrissi Transport.

“In the end, trucking companies will simply leave the state and park across state lines, leaving a giant hole in the state budget,” Torrissi added.

The ACCII regulation is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, while the ACT regulation is scheduled to be implemented on January 1, 2025.