Trucking industry organizations are urging legislative leaders to hold hearings this fall on state electric vehicle regulations set to be implemented in 2025 without lawmakers’ approval. These regulations could cost the industry and consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.
The NJ Motor Truck Association, the Fuel Merchants Association of NJ, and the NJ Propane Gas Association sent a letter on Monday to Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin requesting a swift legislative response. The state Department of Environmental Protection’s regulations mandating zero-emission tractor-trailer sales are set to take effect in 16 months.
“According to the NJEDA, the logistics industry contributes 200,000 jobs and $20 billion to the NJ economy … And trucking is the lynchpin of the logistics industry,” the letter stated. “The cost of complying with these requirements is astronomical, in the hundreds of millions of dollars, virtually all of which will be passed on to NJ consumers in what will become some of the most expensive delivered goods costs in the nation.”
The cost of a new electric Class 8 truck (a tractor-trailer) is about three times that of a diesel-powered truck, according to the letter. Moreover, EV trucks haul less payload due to battery weight, necessitating more trucks on the road and requiring more CDL drivers at a time when filling positions is already challenging.
“There is also a lack of charging infrastructure,” noted the letter. “Partly because utilities do not have enough power for heavy vehicle charging and partly due to building costs.”
“NJ Transit is receiving $100 million to electrify a 130-bus depot in the Meadowlands,” it continued. “This equates to $770,000 per bus charger. And Class 8 trucks weigh more than passenger buses, so they need more power to charge.”
With Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) regulations pending implementation—patterned after California’s rules—truck manufacturers are delivering vehicles based on an EV-to-diesel ratio depending on whether states have adopted these regulations. However, due to interstate trucking nature, companies can domicile in non-ACT states.
“The regulation will put New Jersey truck dealerships out of business for one very simple reason: their customers do not want these trucks,” said the letter.
ACT impacts not only tractor-trailers but also every vehicle over 8,500 pounds including super duty pickup trucks and contractor vans. This means municipalities and counties—and ultimately taxpayers—will be affected by ACT.
In adopting ACT for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, DEP cited legislative authorization from provisions enacted by Legislature under New Jersey Air Pollution Control Act in 1967.
However, as pointed out by this correspondence: "The provision in 2007 Global Warming Response Act allowing NJDEP setting 'enforceable limits' achieving greenhouse gas reductions was deleted before final passage."
“Respectfully," concluded its authorship,"it’s time for Legislature determining what law actually entails.”
