The cost of gasoline has come down a few cents this week, but prices at the pump are still near record highs across New Jersey.

Not surprisingly that has prompted an increased interest in electric vehicles in many locations.

Ed Barlow of Barlow Chevrolet in Delran Township said more people are checking out electric vehicles at his dealership.

“They’re pretty excited especially in the current environment, learning about ways to get a more fuel-efficient vehicle,” he said.

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He pointed out “they’re excited to drive the vehicles, they’ve done a lot of research online, they’re kind of excited to see the technology in the vehicles.”

But there’s a problem

Jim Appleton, the president of the New Jersey Coalition of Auto Retailers said the interest in EVs was already growing before gas prices started spiking, and more people have been going into showrooms to check them out now but “the supply chain problems and inventory shortages that are plaguing the auto industry right now are also constraining inventory and the availability of electric vehicles.”

He said if you find an EV you like and place an order for one but “it may take several weeks or even months to see that order filled, there just isn’t a lot of inventory out there right now.”

More than chips

Appleton said you’ve probably heard about the worldwide chip shortage, but many other components are in short supply right now and it’s important to remember “cars aren’t manufactured anymore, they’re assembled from parts that are manufactured all over the globe.”

He explained because of COVID “the component parts that are used to build cars, the manufacturing of those parts has been disrupted.”

He said some automobile makers have actually started shipping cars to dealers with chips that are missing.

“This is for non-essential items in the vehicle, and dealers are actually delivering those vehicles with the promise to the customer that the chip will be installed when available,” he said.

The war in Ukraine is another issue

Appleton said there are growing problems getting a number of component parts from Eastern Europe because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Appleton pointed out electric vehicles are still $10,000 to $12,000 more expensive than a comparably equipped all-gas vehicle, but federal and state tax credits and incentives make up a lot of that cost differential.

Dealers represented by NJ CAR offer 40 different vehicle models with a plug. About four years from now, they expect it will be 140 models with a plug.

David Matthau is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at david.matthau@townsquaremedia.com

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New Jersey's new legislative districts for the 2020s

Boundaries for the 40 legislative districts for the Senate and Assembly elections of 2023 through 2029, and perhaps 2031, were approved in a bipartisan vote of the Apportionment Commission on Feb. 18, 2022. The map continues to favor Democrats, though Republicans say it gives them a chance to win the majority.

The Ultimate Guide to New Jersey Brewpubs

From the website that gave you the "Friendliest bars" and places to watch the game, comes the ultimate guide to New Jersey brewpubs.

So what's a "brew pub"?

According to Thompson Island's Article on the differences between a craft brewery, microbrewery, brewpub & gastropub, it says:
 
"A brewpub is a hybrid between a restaurant and a brewery. It sells at least 25% of its beer on-site in combination with significant food services. At a brewpub, the beer is primarily brewed for sale inside the restaurant or bar. Where it's legally allowed, brewpubs may sell beer to go or distribute it to some offsite destinations."

New Jersey has tons of Brewpubs, some of which have been around for years and some that have just opened in the past year.

Here is a full list of the 21 brewpubs in New Jersey according to New Jersey Craft Beer:

New Jersey's new legislative districts for the 2020s

Boundaries for the 40 legislative districts for the Senate and Assembly elections of 2023 through 2029, and perhaps 2031, were approved in a bipartisan vote of the Apportionment Commission on Feb. 18, 2022. The map continues to favor Democrats, though Republicans say it gives them a chance to win the majority.

 

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