Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Senator SAMUEL D. THOMPSON
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Extends warranty for zero emission vehicles.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning zero emission vehicle warranties and supplementing P.L.2003, c.266 (C.26:2C-8.15 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In addition to any other law, rule, or regulation concerning warranty provisions, a zero emission vehicle sold in this State shall include an extended performance and defects warranty, which shall be, at a minimum, for a period of 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first, except that the warranty period for a zero emission energy storage device used for traction power, including, but not limited to, a battery, ultracapacitor, or other electric storage device, shall be, at a minimum, 10 years.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill creates an extended performance and defects warranty for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), such as electric cars.
The extended warranty established under the bill would be, at a minimum, for a period of 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first, except for a zero emission energy storage device used for traction power, including, but not limited to, a battery, ultracapacitor, or other electric storage device. The warranty period for a zero emission energy storage device would be for at least 10 years. This extended warranty would be in addition to any other warranty provided at the time of the sale of the used or new ZEV.
The bill establishes a ZEV extended warranty comparable to the warranty currently required under California’s Low and Zero Emission Vehicle Program. The program, overseen by the California Air Resources Board, plays a vital role in meeting the state’s air quality and greenhouse gas reduction goals and spurring new vehicle technologies. The board credits the program’s success to the more than one million partial zero emission vehicles and advanced technology partial zero emission vehicles being driven in California, and even more hybrids and plug-in hybrids on the road.