Letter to Gov. Murphy in Support of Clean Transportation Programs: ACT and ACCII

Dear Governor Murphy, 

We, the undersigned environmental, environmental justice, public health, and community organizations and businesses write to thank you for your unwavering climate leadership. We urge you to continue to stay the course on the timely implementation of the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) and Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations without any delay, especially at a time when our state authority is under attack in Congress and by the Trump Administration.

The ACC II and ACT are critical tools that allow the state to protect our communities from the air pollution emitted from the transportation sector, which at 38%, accounts for the state’s largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The standards set sales targets for the gradual transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), requiring auto manufacturers, not dealers, to increase the availability of clean vehicles over time. 

Despite engine manufacturers’ coordinated disinformation strategy to sabotage the transition, the standards remain feasible. In fact, NJDEP data demonstrates that New Jersey has already nearly met our 2025 requirements under the ACT program with more than 5,400 electric trucks on the road and more than 500 private truck depot chargers for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles funded by NJDEP. As part of a multi-state ZEV Program Implementation Task Force Memorandum of Understanding, New Jersey also joined California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island in celebrating the achievement of our collective goal of 3.3 million EV sales by 2025. In addition to existing flexibilities, the California Air Resources Board is expected to create an ACT pooling requirement that will improve market delivery. As the standards continue to incentivize automakers to innovate and manufacture at scale, New Jerseyans benefit from an increase in more abundant, affordable, and longer-range vehicle options and a growing clean economy.

The standards are set to continue providing the state with climate, health, and economic benefits. 

• Reduce GHG emissions: Transportation remains the state’s largest source of GHG emissions. The timely implementation of the ACC II and ACT standards is a key strategy for achieving our climate goals. 

• Protect public health: Fossil-fuel powered vehicles are responsible for toxic air pollution that harms human health, causing and exacerbating lung diseases, asthma, and cancer. The American Lung Association found that 5 New Jersey counties received failing grades, 4 received a D-grade for ozone pollution, and 12 counties received a D-grade for particulate pollution. Communities along highway routes, like the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and other major transportation hubs are disproportionately impacted by air pollution.

• Protect consumer choice and save people money: Section 177 states see more EV variety and availability than their counterparts. Any delay to ACC II and ACT will cause New Jerseyans to have less access to the EV models that can help them save money on fuel and maintenance, and the market for used EVs will not grow as quickly. 
• Drive investments in a growing sector: The standards send critical market signals that will continue driving ZEV momentum. Investments in the ZEV sector create good, cleantech jobs. Clean vehicle jobs increased by nearly 60% over three years across the country, with electric vehicles in the lead. In 2024, the clean vehicles sector accounted for more than 6,300 jobs in New Jersey and clean energy employment will only continue to grow. 

At a time when automakers, fossil fuel companies and the Trump Administration are waging a national campaign against life-saving clean vehicle standards and state authority, both federally and within states, it is more important now than ever that New Jersey continues to hold the line. 

We implore you to protect your legacy as a climate leader and reject any attempts to delay and undermine the ACT and ACC II standards. If our state gives in to Big Oil’s tactics and preemptively strikes down these critical regulations, we will signal to the Trump Administration and Congress that our state is prepared to relinquish our state authority under the Clean Air Act to ever again regulate pollution from mobile sources. New Jersey can resist these hostile efforts to curtail state’s rights by simply staying the course on the ACC II and ACT standards.

Respectfully,