‘Pro-EV’ New Jersey just OK’ed the US’s highest dumb EV fee
New Jersey just signed a law approving a punitive new EV registration fee – and at $250, it’s the highest in the country.
New Jersey’s EV registration fee kicks in July 1, and then rises by $10 each year before it caps out at $290 in July 2028. Plus New Jersey new car purchases require a four-year upfront registration, so that’s more than $1,000 for new EV purchases.
The money goes into the state’s Transportation Trust Fund for road, rail, and bridges along with gas tax money. New Jersey also raised revenue targets for gas taxes by around 18% over five years – around 2 cents annually to the state’s fuel levies.
Electrek’s Take
Thinking of buying a new EV in New Jersey? Your new EV will be exempt from state sales tax, so that’s cool. And of course you get the federal Inflation Reduction Act upfront tax credit of $7,500. Nice one, Biden administration.
But wait. You’ve gotta pay $1,000 upfront for four years of registration since your EV is new. Oh, and the state funding that provided incentives of up to $4,000 for the purchase or lease of new EVs for 2022, 2023, and 2024? Afraid that’s already tapped out. Or as the state puts it, “temporarily unavailable.” Kinda takes the joy out of buying a new EV, Garden State – the thing you’re trying to get people to adopt since you banned the sale of new gas cars by 2035.
Or as Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey, put it: “New Jersey EV policy shouldn’t be schizophrenic, and this EV tax is a blunt instrument which will suppress EV sales.”
He also called the EV tax “punitive,” and we agree. O’Malley suggested before this tax was OK’ed that the tax should have been set at $75 to reflect EV efficiency.
As we at Electrek have said before, shift the entire transportation fund away from gas, diesel, and now EV taxes, and figure out a better way to raise very-much-needed money.
Calculate the taxes based on vehicle weight – and the damage the vehicle does to roads and bridges – instead. According to a US Government Accountability Office study, “a truck axle carrying 18,000 pounds is only nine times heavier than a 2,000-pound automobile axle, [but] it does 5,000 times more damage.” This can be completed when the vehicle is registered. Because, as my colleague Jameson Dow said when we discussed this, “This EV registration tax is targeting a thing that isn’t the problem, and its disincentivizing the most necessary thing.”
Another option: Eighty-four percent of US EV owners charge their cars at home. People pay tax on their electric bills – the state could tap into that extra tax income through the utilities.
But the proponents of these EV fees wouldn’t advocate for that, because these fees are pushed by the fossil fuel industry. These laws were not conceived of to fix a shortfall in revenue, but rather to target a competitor to the fossil fuel industry. And they’ve spread to many states with this disingenuous motivation – even states that have pro-EV policies.
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On today’s informative episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Honda engineers Jason Hwang and Emilio Sanchez to talk us through some of the things that make the GM Ultium-based Honda Prologue EV feel like a real Honda, and why that matters.
Jason and Emilio talk about some of the choices they made to make the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX feel different from its GM-branded cousins, and explain why this was much more than a case of badge-engineering. Give it a listen, then let us know what you think of the Prologue and ZDX in the comments.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more by clicking here.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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The first EV charging hub funded by the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Program in the Eastern US is now online in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The town installed the region’s first DC fast chargers (four ports), along with four Level 2 chargers, at 59 North Main Street in South Deerfield.
These new charging stations, funded with $2.46 million from the CFI program, are conveniently located near Interstate 91 in Franklin County, the most rural county in Massachusetts, which serves drivers from Connecticut up to the Canadian border.
The hub also features local and regional bus stops and designated bike lanes with secure onsite bike racks. The chargers are meant to cater to everyone: from local residents and visitors to municipal EVs and commercial vehicles that service the region’s businesses, like those in food and beverage manufacturing.
Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, sees this as a model for future projects:
Multi-modal charging hubs in communities are key to giving more people the choice to ride and drive electric. The Town of Deerfield is showing leadership in building out convenient charging infrastructure that brings new transportation choices to rural and disadvantaged communities while supporting local commerce.
In recent years, Deerfield has experienced increased climate change-driven flooding from nearby rivers, including the Deerfield River, the Connecticut River, and the Bloody Brook. The project incorporates environmental engineering designed to mitigate and adapt to the effects of flooding and climate, including the installation of permeable asphalt and rain gardens, planting of native trees, grasses, and shrubs, and the creation of new greenspace in the center of Deerfield.
The Biden-Harris administration’s CFI Grant Program is expanding EV infrastructure nationwide. It offers grants for projects that complement and expand upon the initiatives of the NEVI program in urban, rural, and disadvantaged and low-income communities. So far, the CFI Grant Program has allocated over $1 billion to nearly 100 projects across the US, encouraging private investments and expanding the EV charging network to make EV ownership more practical and convenient.
Read more: The US reaches milestone of 200,000+ public EV charging ports
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Kia’s upcoming EV4 electric sedan was just spotted testing in the US for the first time. The low-cost EV is expected to make its big debut by the end of the year. Here’s a look at the new model.
The EV4 will round out Kia’s new “EVs for all” master plan launched last year. Kia showcased three new models, the EV3, EV4, and EV5, during its first annual EV Day in October 2023.
During the event, Kia outlined its new global strategy to “lead and accelerate the EV revolution” with a wide range of models priced from $30,000 to $80,000.
Kia plans to rapidly expand its lineup with a series of smaller, lower-priced models. It launched the EV9, its first three-row electric SUV, which is already proving to be a hot seller in the US. Starting at under $55,000, the EV9 is still a great deal compared to others in its class, but Kia plans to go even lower.
The EV3 and EV4 are expected to be among the most affordable electric vehicles when they arrive in the US.
Kia’s new EV4 is now testing in the US
Ahead of its official debut, Kia’s new EV4 sedan was recently caught driving on US streets for the first time.
The latest image from KindelAuto doesn’t reveal much more than what’s been shown in the past, but the fact that it’s now testing in the US is significant.
Kia’s EV3 is already on sale in Korea, starting at around $30,000 (42.08 million won). Earlier this week, the company said its new compact SUV is now available across Europe, starting at around $38,000 (36,000 euros) with a “segment-leading range” of up to 375 miles (WLTP).
Next up will be the EV4. Kia is expected to officially reveal the new EV by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in 2025. It could be as soon as next week at the 2024 LA Auto Show.
The interior will feature Kia’s advanced new ccNC infotainment system with dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens. An otherwise minalimalistic design is expected inside.
Kia’s EV4 will also be available in a hatchback variant. Although the hatch is likely aimed at European buyers, it was also recently spotted testing in the US for the first time.
We will learn official prices closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Kia is teasing five new vehicles for the US, at least one being a new EV, that will debut at the LA Auto Show next week. Will it be the EV3? EV4?
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