EV and Auto Bills Released from Committee 

The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee released the following bills:

EV Warranties A4868 (Moriarty). The bill extends warranty for zero emission vehicles similar to the one currently required under California’s Low and Zero Emission Vehicle Program. This bill creates an extended performance and defects warranty for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), such as electric cars. The extended warranty established under the bill would be, at a minimum, for a period of 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

“This bill is important to encourage the use of zero-emission vehicles in the state. New Jersey’s state programs on electric and zero-emission vehicles are tied to those of California so it makes sense that we would be following their lead when it comes to warranties as well. New Jersey must stand with California and other states that are fighting climate change on their own level. We need to do everything we can to encourage the use of greener technology and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

In 2016, U.S. EV sales rose 37 percent over 2015, with well over half a million Americans now driving plug-in cars. According to the American Lung Association, every year, pollution from passenger vehicles collectively costs the 10 ZEV states about $24 billion in health, including 220,000 lost work days, 109,000 asthma exacerbations, hundreds of thousands of other respiratory health impacts, and 2,580 premature deaths. In New Jersey, the Zero Electric Vehicle (ZEV) program saves our state $4.6 billion in health care costs associated with smog and soot pollution caused by passenger vehicles.

“In order to get New Jersey moving in the right direction, we need more electric vehicles to be sold here that won’t happen if we don’t have the charging stations to support them. We need New Jersey to drive into the 21st century by becoming a leader in clean car technology.  EV’s would not only drive our economy forward, but would help create more jobs, save us money on gas and clean our air. New Jersey needs to do more to promote electric vehicles and most importantly charging stations. If we are able to charge electric vehicles with renewable energy like solar, it’s a win-win for the economy and the environment,” said Jeff Tittel.

Car Emission Waivers A838 (Jimenez) prohibits purchaser of used motor vehicle from waiving dealer’s obligation regarding emissions control equipment. This will mean there are less defective emission controls on the road, reducing air pollution. One of the biggest pollution problems we face in New Jersey is from mobile sources like trucks, buses, and cars.

“With this bill, you have to fix any emissions controls before selling them, instead of getting a waiver to get out of it. This is important because it closes a loophole that allows for emission problems, leading to air pollution. Pollutants that come from the tailpipes of our cars and trucks threatens our health and environment in New Jersey and around the country. This bill will help our cars run better and our air a little cleaner,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.