The left’s ev hypocrisy: time for phil murphy to drop the act

Let’s cut through the noise: the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, long championed by the progressive left as the ultimate climate savior, is looking more like a hollow PR stunt every day.

In a twist that’s equal parts ironic and revealing, reports are trickling in of left-wing activists torching Tesla dealerships, EV chargers, and even Teslas themselves across the country. If that doesn’t scream “we don’t actually believe in this,” I don’t know what does.

And nowhere is this hypocrisy more glaring than in New Jersey, where Governor Phil Murphy has spent years peddling his EV push and gas car ban as some noble crusade. It’s time for him to stop pretending—this isn’t about the planet; it’s about virtue signaling, and the left’s own actions prove it.

Murphy’s been relentless. Back in 2020, he signed an executive order aiming for 330,000 EVs on New Jersey roads by 2025, followed by a 2023 mandate to phase out new gas-powered car sales by 2035. He’s funneled millions into charging infrastructure, offered rebates, and painted it all as a moral imperative to combat climate change. “We’re building a cleaner, greener future,” he’s said ad nauseam, positioning himself as the Garden State’s eco-warrior. But as the left’s latest tantrums show, the EV agenda isn’t about substance—it’s about optics, and even their own foot soldiers aren’t buying it.

The arson spree isn’t some fringe outlier. In recent weeks, EV chargers have gone up in flames in cities like Portland and Seattle, Tesla dealerships have been targeted with Molotov cocktails, and social media’s buzzing with clips of smashed Tesla windows captioned with anti-capitalist screeds. The culprits? Often self-identified progressives and anarchists—folks who claim to hate “corporate greed” and see Elon Musk’s Tesla empire as a symbol of everything wrong with the world. One X post summed it up: “Burning Teslas isn’t anti-climate—it’s anti-billionaire.” Another user raged, “EVs are just toys for the rich, not a revolution.” These aren’t climate deniers; they’re the left’s own base, exposing the fault lines in their narrative.

So where does that leave Murphy? Knee-deep in a policy mess that’s losing its sheen fast. His EV push was always a stretch—New Jersey’s grid is shaky, charging stations are still sparse outside wealthy suburbs, and the average resident can’t afford a $60,000 Tesla even with a $4,000 rebate. Add in the offshore wind debacle (another Murphy pet project that’s crashed and burned), and it’s clear his green agenda’s more about looking good than doing good. Now, with his ideological allies literally setting fire to the EV dream, the jig’s up. If the left cared about electrification, they’d be protecting chargers, not smashing them.

This isn’t just about optics, though—it’s about trust. Murphy’s gas car ban hinges on the idea that EVs are the future, but when the people he’s pandering to reject that future with crowbars and lighter fluid, why should anyone else buy in? New Jerseyans are already skeptical; a 2024 poll showed 58% oppose the 2035 ban, citing cost and convenience. The left’s arson antics only fuel that doubt. If they don’t believe in EVs enough to spare them from the flames, why should working families bet their livelihoods on Murphy’s promises?

Let’s be real: the EV push was never about practicality. It’s a feel-good flex for coastal elites who love preaching sustainability while ignoring the messy realities—like how most of our power still comes from fossil fuels, or how lithium mining scars the earth. Murphy’s clung to this fantasy because it’s a shiny badge of progressive cred, not because it works. But the left’s recent rampage lays bare the truth: their virtue signaling’s baseless, and they’ll turn on their own buzzwords the second it suits their mood.

So, Governor, enough with the charade. Your EV revolution’s crumbling—partly because your own side’s torching it. Drop the sanctimonious lectures, rethink the gas car ban, and admit this was never about saving the planet. It was about you looking like the hero. The fires are burning that illusion to the ground, and New Jersey deserves better than more smoke and mirrors.

OP-ED by Shore News Network

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Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

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