Not enough love for electric vehicles in NJ, poll finds

⚫ Poll respondents admit they have no plans to ever buy an EV

⚫ There are concerns about cost, operability, and charging

⚫ NJ has ambitious goals for an all-electric future

New Jersey envisions a time — not too far ahead — when all new cars sold are fully electric.

But many people can't see themselves being part of such a future.

In a new survey from AAA Northeast, 55% of consumers say they never plan to buy a vehicle that doesn't rely on gasoline at all. Thirty-five percent of respondents either already own a fully electric vehicle or plan to do so by 2035.

Eight percent believe they'll buy an all-electric vehicle, but in 2036 or later.

New Jersey plans to completely phase out the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by the year 2035. Ahead of the phase-out, at least 51% of all new car sales in New Jersey must be electric vehicles by 2027, under Gov. Phil Murphy's plans.

“Auto manufacturers hoping to boost EV sales over the next decade have reason for optimism,” said Shani Jarvis, outreach manager for AAA Northeast. “But industry stakeholders seeking a complete long-term transition to electric face serious obstacles – especially from consumers who have no desire to make the switch.”

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According to the EValuateNJ dashboard, 2.4% of light-duty vehicles on the road in New Jersey are electric. But electric vehicles accounted for 9.3% of new registrations in 2023.

The AAA Northeast poll surveyed more than 1,700 adults across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.

In a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released in February, half of respondents in New Jersey said they are opposed to New Jersey's electric vehicle goals.

Concerns about electric vehicles

The AAA Northeast poll suggests many consumers are not confident about their ability to operate an electric vehicle. About a quarter of folks who don't own an electric vehicle say they are not confident at all "in their ability to drive an EV tomorrow." Individuals who know someone with an electric car are generally more confident.

"They're a little bit of a foreign thing for folks, so there's some intimidation there," Mark Schieldrop, spokesperson for AAA Northeast, told New Jersey 101.5.

Consumers are concerned about maintaining an electric vehicle's juice. Among respondents who predict they'll buy an electric vehicle at some point, 22% want charging to take the same time as pumping gas. Forty-three percent say they're willing to wait 10 minutes longer to charge, compared to filling up at the gas station.

Among the folks who say they never plan to buy an electric vehicle, 81% wouldn't be willing to wait any longer for a charge than the amount of time it takes to pump gas.

Both EV owners and prospective buyers expressed concerns about the availability of charging stations. And respondents noted in the survey that it's important for charging stations to have security cameras and lighting, as well as protection from bad weather.

“Though EV owners tend to do most of their charging at home, if they can, buyers want to feel assured that their car can handle road trips just as easily as daily routines," Jarvis said.

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