GM Commitment To Fully Transition New Auto Sales To Electric Vehicles Gives Momentum To Reach NJ EV Bill Mandates

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Hayley Berliner

Environment New Jersey

Trenton – Today, General Motors announced that it will stop selling fossil fuel powered cars and SUVs as of 2035, and minimize its carbon emissions enough to be carbon neutral by 2040. The company also signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5 degrees Celsius, aligning its emissions targets with the Paris Agreement’s standard to mitigate global warming, which the Biden Administration announced it was rejoining last week.

GM is investing $27 billion in electric vehicles and battery production through 2025, indicating a shift in the company’s priorities. This announcement did not include a shift towards electric medium- and heavy-duty buses and trucks, but will include crossovers and pick-up trucks. New Jersey’s EV Law mandates the state have 330,000 light-duty electric vehicles on the roads by 2025, and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection has said that for the state to hit its climate goals, 100% of new light-duty vehicle sales need to be electric by 2035.

In response, Hayley Berliner, Clean Energy Associate with Environment New Jersey, released the following statement:

“Transportation is the largest source of climate pollution in New Jersey, and a big source of air pollution that makes New Jerseyans sick. It’s time we electrify our transportation sector to solve both of these problems at once.

“We’re glad to see GM, one of the largest American automakers, stepping up and making a big commitment to phase out gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035. Now we need the Murphy Administration to build out the necessary statewide charging infrastructure to match this huge influx of electric cars. The car market has changed drastically in the last decade, but that is nothing compared to the changes we expect to see in electrification over this next decade. 

“Transitioning away from internal combustion engines is one of the most important ways we can reach our climate goals. It is also deeply telling that car makers like GM — which once fought technology forcing mandates like the NJ Clean Cars Act, with its Zero Emission Vehicle mandate — are now leading the charge on electrification. The car market is changing and we hope other automakers follow suit.”

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