⚡ Sales of new gas-powered cars could be banned in NJ in 11 and a half years
⚡ Environmental groups want the DEP to take swift action
⚡ A new report predicts big economic and health benefits from the program


Environmental groups are urging the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to begin the process of adopting the Advanced Clean Cars II program, which would require every new car and light-duty truck sold in New Jersey to be zero-emission by 2035.

According to Anjuli Ramos, the director of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club, Advanced Clean Cars II, based on regulatory standards first adopted in California, will provide a host of benefits to the Garden State.

She said it would increase the number of electric vehicles on the road, which would eventually lower electricity costs, saving the average Jersey family about $174 a year.

Big health benefits claimed

At the same time, she said with more EVs on the road, Garden State air quality would improve, which would mean decreasing hospitalizations and chronic respiratory illnesses.

She said better air quality would mean at least 100, 000 fewer cases of minor illnesses.

“This accumulates to a total of $2.1 billion to 4.4 billion in savings because of the public health benefits," she said.

Eco-Conscious Cars: States with the Most Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
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New Jobs, new lives

Ramos said The Advanced Clean Cars II program will also create thousands of new jobs.

Once the DEP proposes adopting the Advanced Clean Cars program, which Gov. Phil Murphy has recommended, public hearings will be held and written comments will be reviewed before a final determination is made.

Phil Murphy
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Other so-called clean car states in the Northeast, including New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia and Maine, have begun the process of joining the Advanced Clean Cars II program.

The Advanced Clean Cars II report was commissioned by the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council and prepared by the group Environment Resources Management.

David Matthau is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at david.matthau@townsquaremedia.com

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