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A Complete Guide on New Jersey EV & Charging Station Incentives

Written by Michael Tobias | 10/3/22 9:45 PM

New Jersey is among the leading states in electric vehicle adoption. According to official figures from the US Department of Energy, NJ had 47,830 registered EVs by the end of 2021, and a total of 821 private and public charging stations with 2,358 individual charging ports. This includes 1,696 LV1 and LV2 ports, and 662 DC fast charging ports.

New Jersey currently offers several incentive programs for electric vehicles and their respective charging stations, and this includes recently approved funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan (NEVI).

  • The US Government has a $7.5-billion budget to help deploy 500,000 charging stations throughout the US, and New Jersey is getting $15,448,790 for fiscal year 2022.
  • Between 2022 and 2026, the Garden State could receive over $104 million as part of the NEVI plan (exact funding amounts will be determined each year).

Here we will provide an overview of all incentive programs for electric vehicles and EV charging stations that are currently available in New Jersey. These programs are officially listed at the US Department of Energy website. Most of them are managed by state agencies, but there are also incentives offered by utility companies and private organizations.

Considering EV chargers for a building in NJ? Make sure you qualify for local rebates.

EV Charging Station Incentives in New Jersey: State Programs

New Jersey currently offers the following state incentives for EV charging stations:

EVSE Incentive Program

Description

New Jersey NEVI Plan

NJ plans to install EV chargers at every 50 miles in designated corridors: I-76, I-676, I-78, I-278, I-80, I280, I-287, I-95, I-195, I295, the Garden State Parkway, the New Jersey Turnpike, and the Atlantic City Expressway.


The US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation approved over $15.4 million for the NJ NEVI plan in FY2022.

Zero Emission Vehicle Sales Tax Exemption

NJ offers a sales and use tax exemption for zero-emission vehicles that are sold or leased in the state, and the list of eligible models is published at the NJ Treasury website. The tax exemption is only available for vehicles that operate with zero emissions all the time, which means that hybrid EVs are not eligible.

Charge Up New Jersey Rebate Program

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities offers a $250 rebate for residential EV chargers that meet their eligibility requirements.


Electric vehicles get a point-of-sale rebate of $25 per mile of EPA-rated all-electric range. The maximum incentive is $4,000 for EVs with a purchase price below $45,000, and $2,000 for EVs ranging from $45,000 to $55,000.

RGGI Funding for Transportation Electrification

This incentive program is managed by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and it covers up to 100% of the incremental cost when replacing diesel vehicles with fully electric models. The rebate also covers charging stations.


The list of eligible vehicle types includes garbage trucks and school/shuttle/transit buses. Privately-owned school buses qualify if they have a contract with a public school district.

New Jersey Turnpike Authority's Green Pass Discount Plan

Vehicles can get a 10% discount on off-peak toll rates when using the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway if they meet either of the following conditions:

- Fuel economy of 45 MPG or better.

- California Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standard.


NOTE: Electric vehicles must be registered with the New Jersey E-ZPass to get the discount.

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey’s Truck Replacement Program

The program offers a 50% rebate when replacing a high emissions truck, up to $25,000. Eligibility requirements are provided by the program website, and they include owner-operators and licensed motor carriers using Class 8 drayage trucks that service the port.

It Pay$ to Plug In: Charging Station Grant Program

This EV charging station incentive is available for multi-family residential buildings, businesses, government buildings, nonprofits and academic institutions.


The program offers up to $750 for Level 1 charging ports and $4,000 for Level 2 charging ports. DC fast charging stations with at least two ports can get up to $200,000 depending on their rated power output.

Clean Fleet Electric Vehicle Incentive Program

Government entities who are transitioning to EV fleets can qualify for the following incentives:

-$4,000 when purchasing battery electric vehicles

-$5,000 for public LV2 charging stations

-$4,000 for fleet LV2 charging stations.

New Jersey Zero Emission Incentive Program Vouchers

This pilot program offers vouchers for new medium-duty zero-emission vehicles used in the Greater Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, and Greater Shore areas. Phase 1 vouchers range from $25,000 to $100,000 depending on vehicle weight.


The voucher pool is $44.25 million for Phase 1 and $45 million for Phase 2. Vouchers are limited to 100% of vehicle costs and $1.5 million in total per applicant.

As you can see in the table above, New Jersey has state-managed incentive programs for electric vehicles of all sizes and their respective charging stations. The list does not end here, since there are also incentive programs from utility companies and private organizations.

EV Charging Station Incentives in New Jersey: Utility Programs

In addition to the state incentives described in the table above, electric vehicles and charging stations can also get rebates from local utility companies: Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G), Atlantic City Electric (ACE), and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L).

The PSE&G Electric Vehicle Charging Program offers rebates for their residential and commercial customers who install EV charging stations. The incentive program has a $166-million budget, approved by the NJ Board of Public Utilities, and it includes three subprograms:

  • Residential Smart Charging
  • Level 2 Mixed-Use Commercial Charging
  • Public DC Fast Charging

The Residential Smart Charging subprogram offers up to $1,500 when installing a Level 2 charging station. An additional rebate of up to $5,000 is available if there are costs associated with upgrading utility-owned assets (front-of-meter). Customers may also qualify for an off-peak charging tariff of only 2 cents/kWh, between 9PM and 7AM on Monday-Friday, and all day long on Saturday and Sunday.

The Level 2 Mixed-Use Commercial Charging subprogram offers a rebate of up to $7,500 per charger, covering up to four chargers per site. This results in a maximum incentive of up to $30,000 per site. Applicants can also qualify for a rebate of up to $10,000 in cases where utility-owned assets must also be upgraded.

The Public DC Fast Charging subprogram offers up to $25,000 per each fast charging station, covering up to four chargers per site (up to $100,000 per site). There is also an incentive of up to $50,000 for sites that require an upgrade of utility-owned assets. Customers may also qualify for demand charge rebates under the Public DCFC subprogram.

The Atlantic City Electric EVsmart Program also offers rebates for residential and commercial consumers who purchase EV charging stations. The specific rebate amount depends on the type of EV charger and building.

Location

Type of EV Charger

Rebate

Residential Customer

Level 2

50% of charging station cost, up to $1,000 (one per site).

Multifamily Property Rebate

Level 2

Normal Rebate: 75% of charging station costs, up to $5,000 per port, up to 10 ports per site.


Overburdened Community Rebate: 100% of charging station costs, up to $6,700 per port.

Commercial Charger Rebate

Level 2

50% of costs, up to $4,500 per port, up to 10 ports per site.

Fleet Charger Rebate

Level 2

50% of costs, up to $2,500 per port, up to 10 ports per site.

Public Charger Rebate

Level 2

50% of costs, up to $4,500 per port, up to two ports per site.

Public Charger Rebate

DC Fast Charger

90% of costs, up to $60,000 per port, up to two ports per site.

The JCP&L EV Driven Program also offers predetermined rebate amounts for residential and business customers, determined according to charge type and building type:

Location

Type of EV Charger

Rebate

Residential

Level 2

$1,500 per port, one per location

Multifamily

Level 2

$6,700 per port, 2-10 ports per location. $8,375 per port in overburdened communities.

Workplace

Level 2

$5,000 per port, 2-10 ports per location.

Public

Level 2

$6,700 per port, 2-10 ports per location

Public

DC Fast Charger

$25,000 per port, 2-10 ports per location

Residential and commercial customers may also qualify for power bill credits if they use EV charging stations during off-peak hours. In cases where utility-owned assets must be upgraded, there is a rebate of up to $5,500 for residential customers, $11,100 for business customers, and $50,500 for participants who install DC fast chargers.

New Jersey can be expected to remain a leading state in electric vehicle adoption, considering the wide range of incentives available for both EVs and their charging stations. Keep in mind that local programs can be combined with federal incentives like the EV tax credit, which has been renewed and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act.