TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s ambitious plan to have the state go entirely electric by 2035 came under scrutiny during its first Advance Clean Cars II public hearing last week. The proposal, backed by Governor Phil Murphy, aims to phase out gas-powered cars and transition to a 100% electric vehicle (EV) landscape.
Ray Cantor, Vice President of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), emerged as a vocal critic during the hearing. Cantor questioned the feasibility of the state adopting California’s electric vehicle mandate, raising concerns about affordability, practicality, and consumer choice.
“It’s unfeasible to phase out internal combustion engines by 2035 due to economic barriers that make EVs inaccessible for many New Jersey residents,” Cantor said. He added, “You can’t put enough chargers in place at this point in time even at homes to be significant. In densely populated areas, it’s not convenient for people to access charging stations.”
Cantor presented three primary arguments against the adoption of California’s approach. First, he emphasized that EVs remain unaffordable for not just lower and moderate-income families but also many middle-class households—even with existing incentives that are not guaranteed to last. Second, Cantor argued that New Jersey’s electric infrastructure is inadequate for a full-scale transition to electric vehicles. The state lacks both the electrical capacity and the charging infrastructure to facilitate this, especially in densely populated areas.
Cantor also criticized the mandate as overly restrictive, arguing that it undermines market forces and limits consumer choice in automotive purchases. “You can’t expect people to walk blocks to charge their car,” he said, questioning the practicality of such a large-scale initiative.
The NJBIA Vice President warned that the issue is far more immediate than the 2035 timeline implies. According to Cantor, if the mandate is implemented, 43% of all new car sales in New Jersey would need to be electric by the model year 2027. This would limit the availability of all cars and potentially increase the prices of internal combustion engine vehicles within the next three years due to supply and demand dynamics.
Cantor concluded that the state should focus on solutions tailored to its unique demographic and geographic needs, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all policy from another state. “Automobiles are essential for a way of life in New Jersey. The market should dictate, not regulations,” he said