Poll Shows NJ Residents Opposed to EV Mandate
On Monday one of the state's top pollsters, Rutgers-Eagleton, released the results of a poll they conducted asking questions about the NJDEP's plan to adopt the California Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which will phase in a ban on the sale of new gas and diesel powered vehicles until they are completely banned in 2035. Among all residents, 43% supported the plan, while 50% opposed it.
There was very little gap between how men and women felt about the mandate, and no big difference in how people of different income levels viewed it, with all groups similar to the statewide split. As you might expect, those in less dense areas were more likely to be opposed than those in urban areas, but even in urban areas opposition was still 40%.
The biggest problem for our efforts opposed to this ban is that it is popular among Democrats, with 68% in favor and 26% opposed. In January 2026, a new governor will take office. If that governor is a Democrat, even a moderate one, will they be more swayed by the fact that 68% of their base supports this mandate, or by the fact that 56% of independents and 50% of all residents oppose it? On the other hand, 80% of Republicans oppose the mandate, giving plenty of room for a new Republican governor to repeal the regulations. The state twice voted for Democrat Phil Murphy, though neither party has been able to win three governor elections in a row in NJ since 1965.
The passion on this issue is with the opponents, as only 20% of all residents say they are more likely to support a candidate who supports the mandate, while 45% say it makes them less likely and 30% say it doesn't make a difference to them. Only a third of Democrats like the policy enough that they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports it.
44% of residents say the plan has a negative impact on our economy, just 30% think it will be positive. 47% say it has a negative impact on their finances vs just 19% who say it will be positive.
In terms of whether to buy an EV, 35% say they are 'not at all likely' and another 21% say 'not very likely'. Only 13% are 'very likely' and 3% already have one. That leaves a huge market that is solid in favor of gas-powered vehicles. Why should the State deny them the choice they want? Even 44% of 18-34 year olds say they are not likely to get an EV.
The pollster asked those 56% who are not likely to buy an EV an open-ended question about why they weren't interested. The two concerns most acknowledged by the activist groups pushing this mandate--cost and the lack of public infrastructure--were cited by 39% of people. Those two concerns could be addressed by government spending. But just about all the rest cited reasons that suggest they fundamentally are not interested in these types of vehicles, even if they were the same price as gas cars and if chargers were all over. They ranged from the inconvenience of having to charge so frequently, to concerns that constructing the batteries is bad for the environment, to a simple preference for gas-powered cars.
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