Sponsored by:
Senator NICHOLAS ASSELTA
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
Senator DIANE B. ALLEN
District 7 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Calls on auto manufacturers to begin manufacturing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution calling on auto manufacturers to begin manufacturing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Whereas, The price of gasoline in the United States surged to an all-time high both on a nominal and an inflation-adjusted basis in September 2005 and is currently rising to those price levels again; and
Whereas, The United States is approximately 58% dependent on foreign petroleum despite President Bush and Congress calling for a decrease in United States dependence on oil imports; and
Whereas, Today’s hybrid vehicles are more efficient than non-hybrid vehicles because they do not use gasoline when idling, use smaller engines and recapture braking energy into a battery for powering the vehicle; and
Whereas, Most hybrid vehicles currently available rely on gasoline for fuel when not using electric power; and
Whereas, The technology is currently available to enhance current hybrid vehicles to reduce gas consumption and emissions further by increasing the proportion of electric over gas power used to power the vehicle; and
Whereas, Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) store more electricity, a cleaner and cheaper domestic energy, in a battery for extended use in the vehicle; and
Whereas, PHEVs allow an owner to charge a battery using a standard 120 volt power outlet at home, at a cost equivalent of less than $1 per gallon, to store enough energy to drive the vehicle the first 10 to 30 miles on electric alone until the gas or diesel powered engine takes over; and
Whereas, When the electric battery in a PHEV runs out of power the vehicle reverts to gasoline or diesel power, thereby maintaining the same range as modern non-hybrid vehicles; and
Whereas, PHEVs will generally be charged overnight, the hours during which the burden on the national power grid is the lightest, which avoids the potential problem of placing too heavy a demand on the national power grid during peak hours; and
Whereas, As of May 1, 2006 only Daimler-Chrysler has manufactured test models of PHEVs, and no manufacturer has announced plans to mass produce PHEVs for consumers in the United States; and
Whereas, Research by energy experts concludes that widespread adoption of PHEVs, which is attainable in the next five years, could reduce the amount of gasoline consumed in the United States by 50%; and
Whereas, President Bush has endorsed the PHEV as an effective part of the plan to reduce United States dependence on foreign oil; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House calls upon auto manufacturers to begin manufacturing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary of the Senate, shall be transmitted to the Chief Executive Officer of each passenger automaker registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that builds more than 1,000 vehicles per year.
STATEMENT
This resolution calls upon auto manufacturers to begin manufacturing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The current increase in the price of gasoline has raised awareness of the need to decrease the dependence of the United States on foreign sources of oil. The reliance of PHEVs on electricity as the primary source of powering the vehicle can dramatically reduce gasoline consumption and thereby the U.S. reliance on imported oil. Therefore, auto manufacturers are urged to use available technology to begin manufacturing PHEVs for the general public.