New Jersey is launching a $4 million campaign to promote the availability of electric vehicle chargers and tourism to popular state landmarks by installing chargers on main traffic corridors and at tourist hotspots.

The plan, approved by the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU), aims to increase the number of chargers enough to reduce concerns among both out-of-state and domestic EV drivers that they could get stranded at their destination because there are no nearby chargers to fuel their vehicle for the return trip.

The installation of more chargers, and the promotion of their existence at state tourist areas such as the Jersey Shore and Atlantic City, could have the dual benefit of raising the profile of both EVs and state tourism locations, state officials said.

“By locating chargers at various tourism destinations, it would increase the visibility and availability of public charging, and also reduce the range anxiety,” Kelly Mooij, director of the BPU’s division of clean energy, told the board before the unanimous vote to approve the measure Sept. 14. The strategy, she said, would “encourage EV drivers to visit landmarks and locations considered areas of interest by the state Division of Travel and Tourism.”

The approved program provides an incentive of up to $2,000 for the installation of each eligible Level 2 charger (240 V) and an incentive equal to half the cost of the make-ready costs for such a charger, to a maximum of $5,000. The program would offer up to $75,000 for the wiring and make-ready costs for a fast charger, up to $75,000.

Municipalities, county or state government entities, and private  entities will be eligible for the incentives if they are in tourism areas recognized by the State Division of Travel and Tourism, or have jurisdiction over them. The proposed chargers should be dual-port or networked units that are either accessible to the public, or are “quasi-public,” such as accessible to guests of a motel or hotel.

Applicants could receive incentives for no more than six Level 2 chargers and two fast chargers per site, according to the program rules.

Jeffrey Vasser, executive director of the Division of Travel and Tourism, said that although his department did not originate the program, it could nevertheless improve the exposure of state landmarks and vacation sites.

“This is a great opportunity for tourism destinations throughout the state,” he said. “Hopefully, electric cars can be more and more abundant. If people can feel more comfortable and confident in coming here in their electric vehicles, I think long-term, that is a competitive advantage for us.”

Out-of-state Visitors

The program is designed to help the state meet goals set out by the EV Act, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law in January 2020. The act sets a state target of installing at least 1,000 Level 2 chargers by Dec. 31, 2025, and at least 400 fast chargers in 200 or more locations. The act also sets a goal of having 20% of the franchised overnight lodging establishments in the state equipped with charging infrastructure.

New Jersey has recently taken several measures to increase the number of chargers available in the state, believing that drivers are more likely to buy EVs if their range anxiety is diminished. They include enacting two laws that would make it easier to set up EV charging stations in the state and proposing new rules on the installation of new chargers, which are currently under discussion. (See NJ Cuts Permitting Obstacles for EV Charging Stations and NJ Looks to Boost EV Charger Numbers.)

Vasser said he did not know which tourist locations would, or should, be targeted in the new program.  About 84.6 million people visited the state in 2020, and the biggest attraction is the Jersey Shore, he said. Atlantic City was the top shore destination, followed by Cape May, his agency said.

Just over 50% of the visitors came for the day, and 48% were overnight visitors, according to the division’s annual report. About a quarter of all the money spent on tourist locations went on motel, hotel and other lodging spending, including casinos, the report said.

Most of the visitors to the state come by car, with the bulk of out-of-state tourists coming from New York and Pennsylvania, although Canada, New England and Virginia also sends tourists, he said. Given that the median range of 2020 EVs is about 250 miles, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, only visitors coming from just across the border from New Jersey could make it to the Jersey Shore and back without a charger at their coastal destination. Surf City, for example, located about halfway along the coast on the Jersey Shore, is about 100 miles from New York City and about 65 miles from Philadelphia, about the same distance as to Atlantic City from Philadelphia.

Maria Leonetti, marketing coordinator for the Montreal Beach Resort in Cape May, said the resort has had a charger since at least 2017, and she believes that more chargers around the area would prove to be an attraction for EV owners.

“More and more guests are traveling in electric vehicles, and they are happy when they learn that we have a designated spot for electric cars to plug into,” Leonetti said. “We do frequently receive calls from guests asking if we have a charging spot or to let us know they are bringing their electric vehicle, and to guarantee they will be able to charge their car.”

Highway Charger Numbers Increasing

New Jersey has 325 public fast-charging ports in 79 locations, meaning that 95% of the state is within 25 miles of a fast charger, according the Department of Environmental Protection’s “Drive Green” website. The state has 610 Level 2 ports and more than 300 public charging locations, according to the site. About 40 Level 2 chargers and fast chargers are in or around the Jersey Shore, according to the website.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority said there are 76 EV chargers on the highway or in development. That’s up from 20 chargers in 2020, when Tesla reached an agreement with the authority that allowed the car manufacturer to install eight V3 superchargers at each of six service rest areas and others at two rest areas that already had chargers. Tesla also agreed to install infrastructure that could subsequently be used to install at least two dozen non-Tesla chargers by other entities.

The board order says that the incentive program would encourage public charging for destinations including “boardwalks, downtowns, historic sites and state parks.” Applications would be picked by a review committee convened for the project based on criteria that includes:

• • • the applicant agrees that proper signage will be posted, and the charger’s presence will be publicized online;
    • locations that are part of larger tourism areas and near other tourism areas;
    • locations that would best serve the public because of their proximity to tourism areas connected by tourism corridor(s) or in a community location; and
    • locations that address gaps between chargers in the corridor or in a community.