The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) opened Year 2 of its Charge Up New Jersey electric vehicle (EV) incentive program recently taking one more step toward the Murphy Administration’s goal of getting 330,000 EVs on the road by 2025. Charge Up New Jersey provides a rebate of up to $5,000 toward a new EV purchased or leased in New Jersey. The incentive is available exclusively as a “point-of-sale” rebate applied during the purchase or leasing process at dealerships and requires a valid New Jersey driver’s license to get started. Only EVs registered and purchased in New Jersey are eligible.
“Transportation is responsible for over 40 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as harmful air pollution, which often disproportionately impact overburdened communities,” said Joseph L. Fiordaliso, NJBPU president. “Electrifying the transportation sector is a core strategy of Gov. Murphy’s Energy Master Plan because it will help tackle climate change while improving public health and air quality. Making EVs more affordable will encourage EV adoption and get us closer to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.”
According to the program’s administrator, Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), more than 7,000 drivers utilized the incentive in Year 1. Due to the program’s overwhelming popularity, funding for Year 1 was completely committed by December 2020. Now, only EVs ordered, purchased, or leased after the Year 2 launch are eligible to receive an incentive.
Year 2 of the Charge Up program builds upon the success of Year 1 and includes important modifications to the program to increase adoption, extend funding availability and encourage buyers who may not otherwise consider making the switch to electric. The program will be comprised of a two-tier incentive based on the final manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). EVs with an MSRP up to $45,000 are eligible for $25 for each mile of all-electric driving range as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ratings, up to $5,000.
Eligible EV models with 200 miles or more of EPA-rated all-electric range receive the maximum amount. EVs with an MSRP between $45,000 and $55,000 receive $25 for each mile of all-electric EPA driving range, up to $2,000. Incentives are limited to vehicles with a final MSRP of less than $55,000.
Qualifying vehicles include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which offer all-electric range, zero emissions, lower fueling costs, and less maintenance, as well as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which offer limited all-electric range and an optional gas engine for extended travel without charging.
The Charge Up New Jersey program is funded on an annual basis with $30 million from the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Incentive Fund, which was established by the EV Act (N.J.S.A. 48:25-1 et seq.) and signed by Gov. Murphy on January 17, 2020. The EV Act codified the goal of 330,000 registered light-duty electric vehicles in the state by 2025, putting New Jersey on a path to a 100 percent clean energy future by 2050.
For more information and complete eligibility requirements, visit chargeup.njcleanenergy.com.
