SC Comments on Volkswagen Settlement: Funds Should be for EV’s

The New Jersey Sierra Club has submitted comments to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) regarding the “Volkswagen Settlement Utilization Fund for Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction and Air Pollution Control.” We believe that the funds from the settlement should be used for activities pertaining to electric vehicles and reducing pollution from automobiles. This includes promoting EV’s, building charging infrastructure, reducing diesel admissions in ports, and more.

“We need to make sure that these settlement funds are spent correctly; on mitigating for those affects by implementing clean air and electric vehicle programs. This money could help New Jersey move forward on electric vehicles. This could jumpstart our clean transportation system including plug-ins and helping urban areas where air pollution is worst. This will help create jobs and move our state forward with an automobile that has zero emissions and decrease fossil fuels. The biggest source of air pollution and greenhouse gases in our state comes from automobiles, which is why we need to increase electric vehicles to clean our air,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We were concerned that the Christie Administration would have played games with the funds, but now we have an Administration that wants to move forward on clean energy. These funds will be an important tool in doing so and making sure that the advancement starts in the right places.”

Governor Christie has formally accepted the $72 million settlement from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust. This is on top of the $69 million previously awarded by the Volkswagen Group of America. The funds settle allegations that Volkswagen “violated New Jersey’s clean air statutes and defrauded consumers by selling diesel vehicles equipped with “cheat” software that deactivated their on-board emission controls except during emissions testing.” The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been named lead agency in administering the funds. The state must submit a “Beneficiary Mitigation Plan” that explains how the funds will be used.

“This $141 million would help New Jersey move forward on electric vehicles. This could jumpstart our clean transportation system. We need to make sure that that funds go to the right places including to plug-ins and helping urban areas where air pollution is worst. This will help create jobs and move our state forward with an automobile that has zero emissions and decrease fossil fuels. The biggest source of air pollution and greenhouse gases in our state comes from automobiles, which is why we need to increase electric vehicles to clean our air. We need to install plug-in stations along with providing things like zip cars, ride shares, and taxis to encourage EV’s that everyone can afford,” said Jeff Tittel.

A fully electric vehicle uses electricity to power a battery. This means no gasoline, no dirty oil changes, and no internal combustion engine. Thanks to rebates and tax credits, decreasing prices in EV technology, and the much cheaper price of electricity vs. gasoline, the cost of owning and operating an electric vehicle is now notably lower than that of many conventional vehicles. There are currently more than 20 fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles available at US dealerships. GM is discussing new models and some states want to phase out gasoline-cars altogether. New Jersey must continue to support the sale of electric vehicles, install charging stations, and commit to a more sustainable transportation future if we want to meet California’s goals.

“Our state hasn’t even gotten out of the starting gate on electric vehicles because Christie’s policies have slowed us down and we need this money to move forward. We really need these settlement funds as a jump start on electric vehicles. We only have about 10,000 electric vehicles, but we should have had 30,000 by now to reach our 2050 goal of 30o,000 to meet California’s Clean Car Standards. Ideally, we want that goal to be 500,000. We cannot do this, however without major incentive programs, education, or program to build charging stations,” said Jeff Tittel.

We can electrify our ports, especially in urban areas, with electric busses to reduce air pollution in areas already highly affected. We can use electric vehicles for transportation in and around the ports including moving goods and containers. We can implement clean transportation programs so that our school children can ride in cleaner, quieter, and healthier school buses that are powered by electricity. This is especially important for children who live in urban areas already overburdened by air pollution. Electric busses will benefit all mass transit riders, as well as anyone living in the city where they run without released air toxins.

“New Jersey is one of the best states to utilize electric vehicles since most of our energy is already carbon-free. Electric vehicles not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars, but can help stop future drilling, pipelines, and oil bomb trains. If we are able to charge electric vehicles with renewable energy like solar, it is even better for the environment,” said Jeff Tittel.

In 2016, U.S. EV sales rose 37 percent over 2015, with well over half a million Americans now driving plug-in cars. According to the American Lung Association, every year, pollution from passenger vehicles collectively costs the 10 ZEV states about $24 billion in health, including 220,000 lost work days, 109,000 asthma exacerbations, hundreds of thousands of other respiratory health impacts, and 2,580 premature deaths. In New Jersey, the Zero Electric Vehicle (ZEV) program saves our state $4.6 billion in health care costs associated with smog and soot pollution caused by passenger vehicles.

“Taking advantage of this money will mean less money sent out of state for petroleum, more in-state jobs, better vehicles for your constituents, less carbon pollution, and cleaner, healthier air. We believe that these funds should be dedicated to moving New Jersey forward with electric vehicles. We can see the benefits of clean air and clean jobs if we put this money to good use. We can build a state-wide network of charging stations, create green jobs, save people money on gas, and reduce air pollution,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Dedicating the funds from the Volkswagen settlement will help get New Jersey moving in the right direction. We need New Jersey to drive into the 21st century by becoming a leader in clean car technology.”