Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration says New Jerseyans should expect to soon see plans for expanding New Jersey's electric vehicle charging network as the state ramps up efforts to get more EVs on the road.
Drivers who’ve already purchased plug-in cars say they frequently struggle to find available ports. In New Jersey, there are 30 registered electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids for every one charging port, according to a Gothamist analysis offrom the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, using the most recent records available. That’s fewer ports per existing plug-in vehicle than any state or the District of Columbia.
The law also called for having in place 400 direct-current fast chargers — which can fill an EV battery in about a half hour — in place before the end of 2025. Again, New Jersey is ahead: There are 1,063 fast charger ports in place, including the proprietary Tesla “Supercharger” ports, which require adapters for use with some cars but which are being opened up to more vehicles over the next year.
“You have like 5% left and you're kind of circling to find where there could actually be an EV charger,” she said. Pam Frank, CEO of ChargEVC, a nonprofit coalition that promotes growth of the EV market in New Jersey, worked on a study starting in 2016 that helped inform the charger goals that went into the 2020 legislation. She said ChargEVC is also aiming to release its own analysis, possibly as soon as this week, on what the state needs to provide in public charging.