Poll: Blue-State Voters Oppose Ban on New Gas-Powered Cars

Nearly ⁤60 percent of New Jersey voters oppose ​Governor Phil Murphy’s EV mandate

A strong majority ⁤of voters in blue New Jersey, including nearly ​60 percent of independents and more than 40 ⁣percent of⁤ Democrats, oppose liberal governor Phil Murphy’s plan⁢ to ban ‌the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, a⁤ new poll shows.

The Public Opinion Strategies poll, ​conducted in August, found that 58 percent of New Jersey voters⁢ oppose Murphy’s ⁤proposed environmental rules, which‌ would force vehicle manufacturers to make 100 percent⁤ of their passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs electric by 2035. That figure includes 58 percent of independents and​ 42 percent of Democrats. In total, 36 ⁤percent of ‌the state’s voters say they “strongly” oppose Murphy’s‌ proposal, compared with just 33 percent ​who ⁤support it.

The poll⁢ comes⁢ as prominent Democrats advance plans at both the federal⁢ and state levels to ensure electric vehicle adoption. President Joe‍ Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have both proposed rules that require automakers to ‍ensure two-thirds of the⁢ vehicles they sell are electric by 2032.​ Some blue states, however, are pushing harsher mandates—in addition to‌ New Jersey, California last year approved a measure that bans the sale of new gas-powered⁤ cars⁤ in⁤ the state by 2035.

Murphy, whose office did not return a request for comment,‍ unveiled an identical proposal in July as​ part of his “Energy‌ Master Plan,” saying the move delivers on his “promise to utilize⁣ every tool at ⁣our disposal to⁤ combat the intensifying climate crisis.” During his first⁣ gubernatorial ​campaign in‌ 2017, the Democrat told​ former California governor Jerry Brown that he aspires to make New Jersey “the California of the East Coast.”

The unpopularity of⁣ Murphy’s proposal could impact his party come November, when the entirety of the state’s General Assembly seats are up for ⁣grabs. ⁣Fifty ‍percent‌ of New Jersey voters say they are less likely to vote ⁤for a state legislator who supports Murphy’s electric vehicle mandate, compared with just 28 percent who say they are more likely, according to ⁢the poll.

Murphy’s electric vehicle proposal is not the only source of green ​energy controversy in New Jersey. The Democrat also ⁤ signed a bill providing ‌up to $1 ‌billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies ⁤to‍ attract a foreign company, ‌Orsted, to ‍build a wind farm off the coast of⁣ Atlantic City. Less than two months⁢ after Murphy approved the subsidies, Orsted in September ⁢ announced it may need to scrap its U.S. ⁤projects due to supply chain problems and other issues, which the company says may cause it ⁢to take a $2.3 billion hit to its American portfolio.

“We are ⁢willing to walk away from projects if we do⁢ not see value creation ⁣that meets our criteria,” the company’s chief executive ⁢said on a⁢ call.

Beyond New Jersey, American consumers are yet to ⁤embrace electric⁤ cars, despite billions of dollars in spending from Biden to spur their ⁤adoption. Less than one-fifth of Americans say they’re very likely to make their next vehicle an electric one, according to an Associated Press poll published in April, with most citing the high‌ costs​ associated with the ⁤vehicles. New Jerseyans who took the Public Opinion‌ Strategies ‌poll cited similar concerns.

“It is unfair to create regulations that would create financial⁤ stress for thousands of people,” one respondent said. “People spend four hundred dollars on cars that barely work just to get their children to​ school. ‍This would really impact thousands of ​people negatively.”