Plug-In Cars Appeal To Montclair Drivers

Plug-in electric vehicles are increasingly starting to appeal to Montclair drivers, according to an NJ Spotlight article.

But writer Tom Johnson notes that a dearth of public charging stations is slowing adoption.

According to the article, New Jersey has approximately 84 plug-in electric charging stations, but the majority are not available to the public. Most of them are in residential garages, according to Chuck Feinberg, chairman of the New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition, an organization promoting the transition from petroleum-fueled vehicles.

In Montclair alone, there are six plug-in charging stations, including one in the Upper Montclair Plaza parking lot. Overall, New Jersey ranks 18th in the country in the number of charging stations, said Doug O’Malley, interim director of Environment New Jersey. The group released a report this week that said if New Jersey had the right policies in place, plug-in vehicles could reduce oil dependence by more than 3 million gallons per year.

Not surprisingly, California leads the way in the number of plug-in stations with 1,718.

In September 2010, Montclair became the first of four municipalities in the state to charge up electric cars via charging stations with the help of a $25,000 grant from Walmart.

In April 2012, Michael Thwaite, president of the N.J. Electric Auto Association, helped organize the "biggest electric car meet-up in New Jersey's history" in Montclair,

To read the NJ Spotlight report in its entirety, go here.