NJGCA Statement on Proposed Gas Vehicle Ban  

NJGCA Chief Administrator Eric Blomgren issued the following statement regarding Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement that the State plans to legally mandate that all new cars sold in New Jersey be electric vehicles by 2035

We have had no objection over the years to efforts by the government to incentivize the purchase of EVs or to install charging stations. We have, and will continue to work on, ways to make it simpler and cheaper for our members to install EV fast charging stations.

However, it is fundamentally unfair and unjust for the government to completely outlaw the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles. More than 95% of consumers continue to choose gas-powered cars for a wide variety of reasons, and that option should not be stolen from them by government fiat.

This proposal leaves a ton of practical questions about its viability. Since it will skyrocket demand for electricity in the state, can New Jersey generate enough electricity to meet that demand entirely with zero emissions sources, while also bringing online so much new clean energy that it replaces existing natural gas usage, while also bringing on enough new clean energy to cover the increase in demand from the building electrification program? If all our cars are powered by electricity generated by natural gas, then what’s the point? Will car manufacturers be able to meet that level of demand at a price that can be afforded? Will the State be able to continue to pay for subsidies for that many new EV buyers, or are motorists going to be forced to pay significantly more for new and used cars in the future? Can these investments be made without huge increases in electric rates for residents and small businesses?

Most gas stations in New Jersey are small businesses, and the majority are still operated by someone who only owns and operates that single location. Some are multigenerational family businesses; others have been the path to the American Dream for immigrants from all over the world.

We’re not even asking for a level playing field. We are just opposing a total government ban on a widespread, reliable technology that, in all its forms, has been widely used for a century. Advocates say that EVs are great, so simply let the market speak for itself and let motorists decide for themselves what vehicle makes the most sense for their lives.

The New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Store, Automotive Association (NJGCA) is a nonprofit trade association that represents nearly one thousand independent small businesses in the motor fuel retail, convenience store, and auto repair industries statewide. 

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