Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles can be game-changers when it comes to cleaning our air and reducing the cost of driving. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants in New Jersey and the U.S.
The most significant obstacle that keeps millions of drivers from making the switch to plugin vehicles is not price, nor performance, nor the availability of an EV that meets their needs. It’s “range anxiety,’’ the fear of running out of power or “fuel” before reaching a place to plugin.
The density of public chargers relative to the population of New Jersey is the lowest of the states that participate in the Zero Emission Vehicle program
PSE&G’s Solution
PSE&G has an answer. New Jersey’s largest utility is investing $166 million in universal electric vehicle charging infrastructure designed to bring EV chargers to communities across the state. It’s part of PSE&G’s Clean Energy Future initiative, a vision that includes funding for energy efficiency, smart electric meters and a proposal to build energy storage systems. For program details, benefits and registration, visit pseg.com/ev.
Making EV charging readily available is key to encouraging more people to drive electric. PSE&G’s EV investments will support the infrastructure for about 44,000 Level 2 chargers at single-family homes, multifamily buildings, government facilities and publicly accessible parking lots. Level 2 chargers typically provide 25 miles of driving range for every hour of charging. In addition, PSE&G’s investment will support about 3,000 fast chargers designed to fully charge an EV in 15-20 minutes along high-traffic corridors such as the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
The program is expected to avoid 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions through 2035, helping the state achieve its emission reduction goals while creating approximately 270 direct jobs.
By curbing emissions from traditional gasoline combustion engines, EVs are good for the climate and public health. And by reducing dependence on foreign fuel supplies, electric vehicles provide a boost to the U.S. economy.
N.J. Clean Energy Goals
EVs can also deliver big benefits for New Jersey. Building out the state’s EV charging infrastructure will put New Jersey on track to become a front-runner in transportation electrification and help the state reach its environmental policy goals.
By reducing vehicle emissions through the electrification of its fleet, PSEG hopes to set an example for others. As part of its plan to reduce carbon emissions, the company is working on converting all of its passenger vehicles, such as sedans and SUVs, 60% of its medium-duty vehicles and 90% of its heavy-duty vehicles by 2030 to battery electric vehicles, plugin hybrids or anti-idle job site work systems.
PSE&G is among more than 50 companies to join the National Electric Highway Coalition, which aims to install EV fast-charging infrastructure along major U.S. highway corridors. The group is led by the Edison Electric Institute, which estimates there will be 22 million EVs on U.S. roads by 2030, requiring more than 100,000 fast chargers.