Issue 1 2025 Official Publication of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers 2024-2025 SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE EDITION
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table of CONTENTS NJ CAR BOARD OF TRUSTEES BY REGION NORTHERN REGION I (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Sussex) Mark Abaid (Alt.) Joseph Agresta, Jr. (Alt.) Timothy Allocca Jeffrey Brown John Fette Matthew Haiken (Alt.) William Kundert, Jr. Brian Lam Renee P. McGuire Richard Selman Todd Van Duren NORTHERN REGION II (Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Union, Warren) Gregg Ciocca, Jr. David Ferraez Chris Gilbert (Alt.) John Johnson, Jr. Sean Lyons Trent Miller (Alt.) Mark Montenero Chris Preziosi, Jr. (Alt.) Edward Rossi Michael Salerno Stephen Tilton CENTRAL REGION (Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean) Dan Chuhinko Robert Ciasulli Lisa Ocasio Devivo Kevin DiPiano (Alt.) Garry Foltz Elizabeth Giglio Adam Kraushaar Anton Semprivivo Joseph Wajda (Alt.) SOUTHERN REGION (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Salem) Russell Abate Allen Eastlack (Alt.) Jason Elkins Jeremy Fisher Thomas Hessert, III Steven Kindle Stacey Lilliston James Magee (Alt.) Marcy Maguire Robert D. McCormick NJ CAR Executive Committee and Board of Trustees 2025 Ronald E. Baus, Jr..........................................................................Chairman Andy Shapiro........................................................................Vice Chairman Ed Barlow, III................................................................................Secretary Michael P. DeSilva......................................................................... Treasurer Jordan Wright.......................... Regional Vice President (Northern Region I) Michael DiFeo........................Regional Vice President (Northern Region II) Richard Malouf, Jr.........................Regional Vice President (Central Region) David Kull.................................Regional Vice President (Southern Region) Eric Nielsen.......................................................................Budget Chairman Eric Nielsen..........................................NJ CAR Insurance Co. Ltd. Chairman William L. Strauss, III................................. NJ CAR Services, Inc. President Richard DeSilva, Jr.........................................NADA Director for New Jersey Frank M. Pezzolla...............................................Truck Committee Chairman Judy Schumacher -Tilton.................................................CAR-PAC President Thomas DeFelice, lll........................................................NextGen Chairman Laura C. Perrotta...........................................................................President PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 7 NJ CAR-Backed Bill Benefits Consumers and Protects Hard‑Working Technicians BY LAURA PERROTTA 8 New Jersey’s EV and Fiscal Policies Are on a Crash Course That Harms Consumers 10 NJ CAR Continues Working to Strengthen Dealer Protections and Boost Consumer Recall Completion Rates 12 Diversity in New Jersey’s Auto Retail Industry 16 Charge Up+ Program Offers Some EV Buyers an Additional $2,000 Incentive on Eligible Vehicles 19 The Advanced Clean Truck Rule Is BAD for New Jersey NJ CAR Continues Fighting for a Two-Year Delay 23 NJ CAR Introduces Technician Advancement Program (TAP) BY JOHANNA SMITH 24 NJ CAR Recognizes Dealership Heroes in 2024 31 New Jersey Franchised New Car & Truck Dealerships By Legislative District ©2025 New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR) | The newsLINK Group, LLC. All rights reserved. New Jersey Auto Retailer is published four times per year by The newsLINK Group, LLC for NJ CAR and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of NJ CAR, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. New Jersey Auto Retailer is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of NJ CAR. While a first-print policy is encouraged, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at (855) 747-4003. EDITOR: BRIAN HUGHES PUBLISHED BY THE NEWSLINK GROUP, LLC (855) 747-4003 4 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Passage of the Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Repair Compensation Act (A4380/S3309) was one of NJ CAR’s priorities this year. This bill, which had considerable bi-partisan support, protects consumers by increasing completion rates on recalled vehicles and ensuring technicians are paid fairly to fix the manufacturers’ mistakes. IMPROVING RECALL COMPLETION RATES Carfax estimates that approximately 58 million vehicles (1.4 million in New Jersey) have at least one unresolved safety or emissions recall. A4380/S3309 aims to improve recall completion rates and enhance highway safety. It requires automakers to do more to inform consumers about vehicles under a safety recall and encourage them to visit a dealership to have the issue repaired, with no out-of-pocket cost to them. The bill also requires automakers to clearly designate any vehicle under recall that is unsafe to drive so that consumers know and dealers can remove these unsafe vehicles from the marketplace until properly repaired. ENSURING FAIR PAY FOR AUTO TECHNICIANS The bill also aims to right a long-standing economic wrong. For 50 years, New Jersey law has required automakers to pay dealers the same retail price a consumer pays for repairs. But they don’t. Automakers have helped themselves to hefty discounts on recall repairs by arbitrarily cutting the cost of a part or the number of hours required to complete a repair once it becomes a recall issue. This is wrong, and it has to stop. Twenty years ago, the New Jersey Legislature devised a first-in-the-nation methodology for calculating the retail price for parts — dealers submitted a sample of 100 sequential, customer‑paid repair orders to the manufacturer. Since then, dozens of states have adopted this methodology. A4380/S3309 expands this fair and objective calculation to also cover the hourly labor rate and labor time, which will strip manufacturers’ ability to control what they pay dealers to fix their mistakes. New York, Wisconsin, and Illinois have already enacted similar legislation, and several other states are considering it. NJ CAR STANDING TO SUE ON BEHALF OF DEALERS There is an imbalance of power between deep-pocked manufacturers and their franchisees. Dealers are often reluctant to challenge their manufacturers when their dealers’ rights are violated. In these situations, dealers turn to advocacy organizations, like NJ CAR, to file legal challenges that individual dealers are unwilling or can’t afford to file on their own. A4380/S3309 ensures that organizations like NJ CAR have the standing to sue, under certain limited circumstances, on behalf of their members. WHAT’S NEXT? The bill was unanimously voted out of the Assembly Transportation Committee in March and awaits hearings in the Assembly Appropriations and the Senate Transportation committees. NJ CAR is working hard to make sure A4380/S3309 is passed to improve recall completion rates, enhance highway safety, and ensure small business auto dealers and vehicle technicians in New Jersey are paid fairly for warranty and recall work. BY LAURA PERROTTA, PRESIDENT, NJ CAR NJ CAR-Backed Bill Benefits Consumers and Protects Hard‑Working Technicians 7 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
PROPOSED PHASE OUT OF EV SALES TAX EXEMPTION Details haven’t been released, but the governor’s proposed 2024-2025 budget does away with the EV sales tax exemption, the most effective and the only consistent EV incentive dealers have had to work with in the showroom. WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? Automakers and auto retailers have been challenged by the Murphy administration to sell an increasing number of EVs in New Jersey. The automakers are meeting the challenge by designing and building exciting new EV products, and dealers have invested more than $200 million preparing to sell and service those EVs. Put simply, dealers want to sell what consumers want to buy, and right now, EV sales in New Jersey lag far behind the government mandates imposed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which governs the New Jersey EV market. Under the California rules, EV sales were supposed to reach 23.5% in 2023. They were less than 12%. Under CARB’s Advanced Clean Car II (ACCII) rule, which was adopted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), that mandate will jump to 43% in 2027, and then climb all the way to 100% by 2035. WHAT’S NEXT? The Murphy administration needs to come to the realization that taking away or weakening EV incentives at a time when EV sales are continuing to decline is a fool’s errand. Dealers need generous cash-on-the-hood incentives and the sales tax exemption to turn EV-curious customers into EV owners. If the state cannot afford the subsidies and the mandates at the same time, it should withdraw from the CARB program and revert to the more flexible (but still aggressive) federal clean car rules followed by most other states. The governor’s plan to phase out the sales tax and slam EV buyers with $1,000 in new, up-front costs will further derail EV sales. Ultimately, consumers will decide when New Jersey becomes a 100% EV market — not automakers, not auto retailers, and certainly not government decision-makers. New Jersey’s EV and Fiscal Policies Are on a Crash Course That Harms Consumers While Governor Murphy has committed to making New Jersey a 100% EV market by 2035, his administration has added a new $1,060 registration fee for EVs, proposed yet another cut to the Charge Up New Jersey EV incentive, and proposed a state budget that phases out the sales tax exemption for EVs. Let’s look at these head-scratching actions that have shown a spotlight on EV policy that seems at odds with itself. EV REGISTRATION FEE No one disputes that EV drivers should pay their fair share into the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) to maintain roads and bridges. The proposed $250 annual surcharge (which creeps up for the next several years) was the first warning sign that the state’s aggressive EV mandates are on a collision course with its fiscal realities. Since our DMV collects motor vehicle fees four years up-front, this $250 fee isn’t just $250 at the point of sale. The fee adds more than $1,000 to the cost of every EV registered in New Jersey. PROPOSED CUT TO CHARGE UP NEW JERSEY EV INCENTIVE The Charge Up New Jersey EV incentive program was launched as a $300 million, 10-year program and is entering its fifth year. The program started as a $5,000 incentive on any EV priced below $55,000. It evolved into a two-tier program providing a $4,000 incentive on eligible EVs priced below $45,000 and a $2,500 incentive on eligible vehicles priced between $45,000 and $55,000. Now, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has proposed chipping away at the value of the incentive in 2024, making it a $2,000 incentive on any vehicle below $55,000 and providing another $2,000 incentive that is income-based. According to the proposed plan, consumers will be required to submit documents to the BPU to prove they are eligible for the income-based incentive and will need to be pre-approved before going to a dealership to shop for an EV. 8 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
CITRIN COOPERMAN® Philip Craft, Partner I pcraft@citrincooperman.com Craig Todderud, Partner I ctodderud@citrincooperman.com 9 180 Park Ave, Ste 200, Florham Park, NJ 07932 1133 Westchester Ave, Ste N-328, White Plains, NY10604 S citrincooperman.com Ann Torno, Partner I atorno@citrincooperman.com Christi Valaouras, Partner I cvalaouras@citrincooperman. ·Citrin Cooperman" is the brand under which Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP, a licensed independent CPA firm, and Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC serve clients' business needs. The two firms operate as separate legal entities in an alternative practice structure. The entities of Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP and Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC are independent member firms of the Moore North America, Inc. {MNA) Association, which is itself a regional member of Moore Global Network Limited (MGNL). All the firms associated with MNA are independently owned and managed entities. Their membership in, or association with, MNA should not be construed as constituting or implying any partnership between them.
NJ CAR is working with members of both the New Jersey Senate and Assembly to move the Coalition-backed Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act (A4380/S3309) through the legislative process. The bill was successfully and unanimously approved by both the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee and awaits a vote by the full assembly. The Senate version of the bill awaits a hearing before the Senate Transportation Committee. Last June, NJ CAR launched a grassroots campaign, targeting the members of both committees and asking them to sign on as co-sponsors of the bill, which address serious public safety and consumer protection issues. Manufacturers have long done the bare minimum to notify consumers about safety defects, which has resulted in less than half of all vehicles under recall ever getting repaired. This is a serious highway safety risk, a financial windfall for OEMs, and a financial burden to consumers and dealers. The bill is intended to dramatically improve recall completion rates by requiring automakers to provide the NJMVC with a list of all registered vehicles with unresolved recalls more than six months old and to create a more robust notification system and outreach to the owners of affected vehicles. This legislation is also designed to prevent automakers from unfairly manipulating the compensation they pay local dealerships and the technicians who repair vehicles on behalf of affected consumers. The legislation amends the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act and addresses a variety of issues important to dealers and consumers. Some of the provisions that NJ CAR hopes will be included in the final legislation include the following: • Requiring automakers to compensate their franchisees for specified costs associated with a “stop sale” or “do not drive” order. • Defining the dealers’ recall costs more clearly and requiring OEMs to compensate dealers 1.5% per month of the book value of any used vehicle subject to a “stop sale” recall. • Clarifying provisions in existing law, which require an automaker to pay dealers a fair retail rate of reimbursement on parts and labor to repair vehicles under recall. • Protecting auto retailers from being subject to financial or other penalties levied by an automaker in the event they bring a claim for reimbursement of recall costs. • Prohibiting manufacturers from recovering their cost of compliance with state law and requiring retail reimbursement to dealers for parts and services provided for warranty and safety recalls. • Prohibiting manufacturers from arbitrarily and unilaterally reducing the retail price of parts required for warranty and safety recall services immediately preceding or during a recall campaign to avoid paying dealers fair compensation for warranty and safety recall work. • Providing NJ CAR with the statutory standing to sue its manufacturers to protect the interests of our dealer members. NJ CAR Continues Working to Strengthen Dealer Protections and Boost Consumer Recall Completion Rates 10 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
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Diversity in New Jersey’s Auto Retail Industry In honor of Women’s History Month, NJ CAR highlighted some of the diversity that can be found in New Jersey’s franchised auto retailing industry. Below are Q&As and videos highlighting several women in our industry. MINDY HOLMAN HOLMAN AUTO GROUP How long has your dealership been in business? This year, Holman is celebrating its centennial anniversary. My grandfather, Steward Holman, opened his first dealership 100 years ago — Rice and Holman Ford in Merchantville, New Jersey. How many employees currently work at your dealerships? Holman currently employs nearly 9,500 individuals around the globe, including 800 across its family of dealerships in New Jersey. How did you first become involved in the industry? I joined the organization in 1986 as a management trainee and then served in various capacities in our dealerships, including General Manager, before becoming Vice President of Holman in 1994. I later served as President and then Chief Executive Officer of Holman before becoming the Board Chair in 2015. Is there an event when your presence as a female entrepreneur in the auto retail industry influenced younger generations to shop at your dealership or join the industry? Our entire organization is proud to be a WBE-certified business by WBENC. Being certified as a woman-owned business is a reflection of the significant role women throughout our organization have played — and continue to play — in Holman’s sustained growth and success. What is your pioneering vision for the future of your dealership? Our purpose as an organization is simple yet very important: provide a rewarding career for all; a better life for our employees and their families; and a great experience for our customers. Our commitment to this purpose shapes our culture and guides our business as we embark on our second century in business. What would you say to other women who haven’t considered a career in automotive retailing? The integral role women play across the automotive industry has certainly come to the forefront during the last several years. Today, many organizations (including Holman) have created robust programs that focus on empowering and inspiring women. As the industry continues to thrive and evolve, it is creating new opportunities for women, and I’m proud to see a growing number of women joining our traditionally male-dominated industry. My sincere hope is that business leaders across the automotive sector build upon this momentum and continue to create opportunities for women to flourish and make meaningful contributions to the future of our remarkable industry. JUDITH SCHUMACHER-TILTON SCHUMACHER AUTOMOTIVE GROUP Scan the QR code to learn more about Judith. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad7lXc7DAnk 12 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
MARCY MAGUIRE WINDSOR NISSAN How long has your dealership been in business? I bought Windsor Nissan in 2000, but my experience in the automotive retail industry goes back more than 40 years when I was involved in the family Chevrolet dealership. How did you first become involved in the industry? I started in the F&I department of the family Chevrolet dealership in the ‘80s, where I obtained my insurance license. In 1989, Saturn was a new brand in which I invested, building my first store in 1991 and a second in 1993. The automotive retail industry has gone through enormous changes over the last 40 years, including the introduction of new brands, the closing of some brands, bankruptcies, bailouts, COVID-19, supply chain issues, and more. The industry is resilient and 100% focused on serving our customers. Is there an event when your presence as a female entrepreneur in the auto retail industry influenced younger generations to shop at your dealership or join the industry? The industry has been male-dominated since the first automobile was invented, but more and more women are assuming roles in all parts of the dealership, from sales to general managers and service technicians to dealership owners. Women make the majority of automotive purchase decisions. I think they truly appreciate seeing other women throughout the dealership. What is your pioneering vision for the future of your dealership? What I love about our industry is that it involves so many unique business operations under one roof: new cars, used cars, finance and insurance, service, parts, body shop, advertising, marketing, human resources, community relations, and political outreach. You are constantly learning something new, and you are never bored. What would you say to other women who haven’t considered a career in automotive retailing? Every woman, especially a woman with ambition, can find a place to shine in the automotive retail industry. Wherever your talents and interests lie, there is a rewarding career that awaits you. VERONICA MAOLI CELEBRITY FORD OF TOMS RIVER Scan the QR code to learn more about Veronica. https://youtu.be/KH9IhOVHq98 13 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
BETH BEANS GILBERT FRED BEANS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP How long have your dealerships been in business? The dealerships have been in the business since 1975. How many employees currently work at your dealerships? We have 1,910 employees across our 27 locations. How did you first become involved in the industry? When I was 12 years old, I spent the summer helping my father in his dealerships. I enjoyed watching him work and was inspired by the passion he had for this business. When that summer ended, I wrote him a letter saying I wanted to be a top dealer just like him. My father saved that letter, and he still has it displayed in our management office. After graduating college, I worked in Florida and Virginia dealerships and then attended the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Academy. When I returned to the Northeast, I joined the family business, starting at our paint and body shop in Doylestown, which is still part of the Fred Beans Automotive Group. I moved around to learn as much as I could, working in different operations and in just about every department. I eventually took on general manager roles at a Mitsubishi and two Saturn dealerships. These experiences gave me confidence as I moved into my current position in 1997 as Vice President of the Fred Beans Automotive Group. In this role, I work to create programs and processes that guide our commitment to treat employees, customers, and community members as extensions of the Beans family. Is there an event when your presence as a female entrepreneur in the auto dealership industry influenced younger generations to shop at your dealership or join the industry? In 2023, I was honored to receive the “Barbara Cox Anderson Woman of the Year Award.” That afforded me the opportunity to speak at the NADA Show about my experiences in automotive and to publicly encourage more females to join me in this industry. Among the attendees was a Northwood University student studying automotive aftermarket management, who I had the honor of presenting with the Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship. For every young person who sees a future in automotive, I know there are many more who do not even consider automotive as an option. At Fred Beans, we have worked to highlight the important roles women can — and do — play in our industry. One way we do this is by celebrating the “Women of Beans” on our social media channels each day during March’s Women’s History Month. We feature their roles and how their vast contributions make it “Better at Beans.” What is your pioneering vision for the future of your dealership? This industry is not known for being flexible and family-friendly, but it doesn’t mean we can’t change. I am determined to have the Fred Beans Automotive Group lead the way in creating that change. Just last year, we introduced new and enhanced employee benefits that support a better work and personal life balance. We now have paid parental leave, which benefits both mothers and fathers. It’s something I have personally advocated for based on my own experiences. We’ve also increased PTO and bereavement days and offered paid time off for volunteering. I’d like Fred Beans Automotive Group to be the type of organization kids in our community dream of joining. I want my general managers’ daughters to want to work in automotive. I want to see their moms and dads succeed here, be happy here, and want to follow in their footsteps. What would you say to other women who haven’t considered a career in automotive retailing? We need more women in automotive! You can have a meaningful influence and grow a career with us. Automobiles are designed for and sold to a diverse population. So, we need people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences designing, selling, and servicing cars for ALL buyers. There are also many roles for women outside of sales and service, including marketing, human resources, accounting, and even wellness. In fact, Fred Beans Automotive Group has a dedicated wellness coordinator to support employees’ mental and physical health. 14 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
EMILY CAMPBELL CAMPBELL SUPPLY COMPANY How long has your dealership been in business? Campbell Supply Company was founded in 1967 by my grandfather Whitman (Woody) and started in a small family home in Edison, New Jersey, selling fire apparatus. Since then, we have grown into a third-generation company with seven locations representing multiple product lines, including Freightliner, Western Star, Isuzu, and Spartan ERV. How did you first become involved in the industry? I grew up in the industry, starting from a very young age sweeping floors, landscaping, assisting with office tasks, and eventually working in the parts warehouse during the summers off from school. During high school and college, I continued to work in the business on a more regular basis, eventually moving to the Accounting Department after graduating from Rutgers. Is there an event when your presence as a female entrepreneur in the auto dealership industry influenced younger generations to shop at your dealership or join the industry? As a young female in a commercial truck dealership, I am always looking for opportunities to engage with our industry to drive increased awareness and engagement from younger generations, including females who may not know how great the trucking industry can be. What is your pioneering vision for the future of your dealership? I want to continually elevate our customer and employee experience through innovation and engagement. With more aggressive emission laws and regulations being enacted, our customers are entering a time of financial uncertainty. My vision for Campbell is to ensure that we are always working towards a better future for our customers, as well as our employees. What would you say to other women who haven’t considered a career in auto retailing? I would start by mentioning that women who have ventured into this industry often find themselves embracing and thriving in its challenges and opportunities. With significant growth and potential, it offers a dynamic and rewarding career path. I encourage all women to explore the possibilities within the trucking industry, where they can contribute their skills, drive, and passion to make a meaningful impact since trucking is such a critical part of the U.S. economy. How did you get to be the Controller, and what does that mean exactly? Campbell Supply is proud to be a family-owned dealership that will soon be a third-generation business with myself and my two brothers. We have expanded over the years, increasing our footprint across New Jersey and the surrounding areas to better service our customers. “Female” and “trucking industry” are words that don’t immediately come to mind as a combination. I have been working at Campbell Supply for as long as I can remember and have worked in multiple departments and positions throughout the years. I currently hold the position of Controller of our Raritan Center location, which includes overseeing accounting and financial reporting as well as ensuring compliance with financial regulations, monitoring cash flow, and analyzing financial data to guide strategic decisions. I collaborate with our teams to optimize the company’s profitability and operational efficiency by maintaining accurate financial records and implementing effective financial controls. Have you been able to implement any changes/programs/etc. to support your vision of the future of trucking or your company? Within Campbell, I work closely with our executive team to implement new strategies and processes that will drive growth in our organization. I initiated Campbell Supply’s commitment to the Woman in Trucking Association allowing for more engagement with women within our industry as well as ensuring Campbell Supply remains a foundational piece of the New Jersey trucking industry. In 2023, I graduated from the intensive, six-week American Truck Dealers academy course offered through NADA, which provided me with valuable information and material to further the success of Campbell Supply. I am looking forward to leading Campbell Supply with my two brothers, Spencer and Mason, and continuing the success for both our organization and our customers. 15 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
Charge Up+ Program Offers Some EV Buyers an Additional $2,000 Incentive on Eligible Vehicles 16 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
The Charge Up+ income-based, electric vehicle (EV) incentive launched in November 2024. As of the date of publication, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has approved more than 2,945 Charge Up+ applications from potential buyers and nearly 2,123 have been redeemed (72%), with the other 822 not yet redeemed (28%). Dealers (and consumers) may have questions about the new incentives, including eligibility and the application process. The following are some details about the new program. When speaking to a customer about an EV eligible for the base $2,000 Charge Up New Jersey incentive, dealer personnel should make the potential buyer aware of the potential additional $2,000 Charge Up+ incentive. The customer will need to apply through the BPU to determine whether or not they are eligible, based on their income. If they are, they will receive a Prequalification ID. They can then return to the dealership to order, purchase, or lease an eligible vehicle, and will receive the additional $2,000 Charge Up+ incentive at the point‑of‑purchase. Consumers should note that applications are processed by the BPU on a first-come, first-served basis, and may take up to 10 business days. When the customer arrives at the dealership with a Prequalification ID, the dealer representative will do the following: 1. In the Charge Up New Jersey dealership dashboard, start a new application and select “Prequalification ID” instead of the driver’s license. 2. Enter the Prequalification ID that the customer provided. If valid, you will get a confirmation message that the ID is eligible. Note: Dealerships must verify the Prequalification ID before the purchase or lease is executed. Dealerships are responsible for determining the correct incentive amount and are prohibited from “clawing back” the incentive post‑purchase due to a miscalculation. 3. After verifying the Prequalification ID, start the application and accept the Terms and Conditions for the application to be “claimed” by the dealership. The dealer may save the application progress in the submission portal and resume the purchase or lease execution, applying the full $4,000 to the customer’s purchase or lease agreement. 4. In the dealership dashboard, the application will appear twice, once for the standard $2,000 Charge Up New Jersey incentive, and once for the increased (additional) $2,000 Charge Up+ incentive. Note: The application number (NJ-XXXXXXX) for the prequalified customer will remain the same throughout the entire prequalification process. 5. Continue through the application in the standard Charge Up New Jersey submission process, then upload the following documentation to complete and submit the application: a. Purchase/Lease Agreement (with the full $4,000 incentive applied) b. Signed Terms and Conditions (with the Prequalification ID and $4,000 incentive listed) c. Vehicle Registration If you have any additional questions, you can access the Charge Up New Jersey program FAQs by scanning the QR code. https://chargeup.njcleanenergy.com/faqs You can contact the program administrator at chargeupnj@energycenter.org or (877) 426-2474. You can also contact NJ CAR Director of Communications, Brian Hughes (bhughes@njcar.org), or NJ CAR Director of Government Affairs, Magdalena Padilla (mpadilla@njcar.org), and they can expedite your questions with their contacts at the program administrator. 17 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
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The Advanced Clean Truck Rule Is BAD for New Jersey NJ CAR Continues Fighting for a Two-Year Delay NJ CAR President Laura Perrotta, as well as Coalition members Frank Pezzolla (Frank’s Truck Center), Douglas Hoover (Hoover Truck & Bus Centers), Romolo Gabrielli (Gabrielli Kenworth of New Jersey), Joseph Cambria (Cambria Truck Center), Spencer Campbell (Campbell Supply Company), and Jack Licata (North Jersey Truck Center) testified in front of the Assembly Transportation Committee in December in support of Bill A4967: Legislation that would delay implementation of the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) Rule for two years. Laura, Frank, Douglas, Romolo, Joseph, Spencer, and Jack focused on the economic challenges, operational limitations, and other negative impacts implementing ACT will have on New Jersey auto retailers, their customers, and the entire Garden State economy. The legislation was voted out of committee unanimously, but it still has a long way to go before it becomes law. The Assembly bill continues to await a full Assembly vote, while the companion Senate bill (S3817), sponsored by Senators Patrick Diegnan and Vin Gopal, has been referenced to the Senate Environmental Committee hearing but has not yet been scheduled for a hearing. BACKGROUND ON ACT The ACT Rule went into effect on January 1, 2025, and mandates the sale of an increasing number of zero‑emission Class 2B through Class 8 trucks. Keep in mind that the ACT Rule doesn’t just impact the big 18-wheelers. Several popular pick-up models, such as the Chevrolet Silverado 2500, the Dodge Ram 2500, and the Ford F-250, are considered Class 2B vehicles (GVW of 8,501‑10,000 pounds). This timeline is unrealistic and will be devastating for New Jersey dealers and the buyers who rely on Class 2B 19 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
through Class 8 trucks if the Rule’s implementation is allowed to proceed. The state has a different (and wholly flawed) view of the impact ACT will have on dealers and truck purchasers. According to a recent NJDEP memo, “… the (ACT) rule does not apply to New Jersey’s truck dealers, purchasers, or operators,” and “… manufacturers are well ahead of their 2024 EV sales obligations.” The ACT mandates are so stringent that they have already forced several manufacturers to ration clean diesel trucks they allocate to their New Jersey franchisees, resulting in a dwindling inventory with severely limited options for many truck buyers. All this will do is cause many businesses to hold on to their old, less efficient trucks instead of upgrading them to a new, cleaner diesel truck that meets their needs. New Jersey is simply not ready for the ACT Rule for several reasons. • Lack of Infrastructure: New Jersey lacks the necessary commercial charging stations for medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles. There are currently NO public heavy-duty chargers available in New Jersey. • Economic Challenges: Electric trucks are prohibitively expensive, averaging $500,000 compared to $180,000‑$200,000 for diesel trucks. Manufacturers have not ramped up production of electric trucks (particularly specialized models), with delivery times going as long as 18 months. • Operational Limitations: Electric trucks average 150 miles per charge, far below the 1,500-mile range of diesel trucks and charging can take up to 10 hours, compared to 15 minutes for refueling diesel. Additionally, the battery weight adds as much as 8,000 pounds to the vehicle’s weight, which reduces the cargo that can be carried, resulting in MORE trucks on the road. New Jersey’s medium and heavy-duty truck dealers want to sell what their customers want to buy. However, there is currently not nearly enough demand for electric trucks to meet the ACT mandates, nor is New Jersey’s infrastructure ready to support these vehicles. NJ CAR continues to fight to pass A4967 and launched both a grassroots campaign to encourage legislators to support the delay, as well as a public relations campaign to inform the public about how the ACT Rule will negatively impact New Jersey truck buyers and the many industries that rely upon trucks to provide a wide variety of products and services for Garden State consumers. YOU WANT IT! (801) 676-9722 SALES@THENEWSLINKGROUP.COM ADVERTISE HERE! DON’T ROLL THE DICE CONTACT US TODAY 20 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
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NJ CAR Introduces Technician Advancement Program (TAP) BY JOHANNA SMITH, COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE, NJ CAR In an effort to address the severe shortage of skilled automotive technicians, NJ CAR held its first Technician Advancement Program (TAP) training boot camp. This 18-week program is tailored to the needs of the dealership and outshines other traditional training options in several ways. Community college or technical schools are expensive, require large time commitments, and typically contain little opportunity for students to get worthwhile hands-on experience. NJ CAR TAP intends to address all these shortcomings by creating a sustainable program to train individuals who are interested in pursuing a rewarding career as an auto technician. The program is hosted at a local dealership (the first was held at Dayton Toyota), allowing participants to learn and apply their skills through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on application in the dealership’s service department. BOOT CAMP’S DEVELOPMENT AND BOTTOM LINE TAP was developed by NJ CAR in partnership with dealership fixed operation personnel. It is taught by dealership master technicians to promote efficiency, inspiring confidence in the participants’ ability to effectively perform basic repairs on vehicles in the service lane. Upon completion, graduating participants will know how to perform entry-level tasks including oil changes, mounting and dismounting tires, correcting alignments, and replacing brakes. TAP is also providing tool assistance (at a discounted price for students) to help create as many job-ready candidates as possible for dealers by the end of each program cycle. NJ CAR TAP’S TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH TO AUTOMOTIVE TRAINING In this accelerated learning program, students will be able to quickly and efficiently learn the skills they need to become an entry‑level technician and enter the workforce. Taking TAP training in a real dealership setting gives students a more practical and realistic experience in understanding what it’s like to work on vehicles at the dealership. By hosting one of the NJ CAR TAP boot camps, your dealership will be able to identify and develop talented candidates that will ultimately help grow your dealership’s success. Dealerships that invest in these students are also investing in the community’s future by providing them with the opportunity to gain valuable skills and secure rewarding careers in automotive retail. BECOMING A DEALERSHIP HOST FOR TAP Help the NJ CAR TAP program grow and expand by becoming a dealership host for a future TAP boot camp. As a host, you will join a group of dealers focused on empowering talented jobseekers in your community, strengthening your workforce, and continuing to grow your dealership’s success. For more information on NJ CAR TAP, please reach out to Brandon Jurakhan, Manager of Workforce Development, at (609) 883-5056, ext. 318 or bjurakhan@njcar.org. 23 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
NJ CAR Recognizes Dealership Heroes in 2024 New Jersey auto dealers care about their communities. From supporting and fundraising for local charities to engaging with elected officials at a grassroots level — they do it all! Giving back is a way of life for them, and New Jersey is better because of it. Paul Sansone, Sr., owner of Sansone Auto Mall and a well‑respected figure in the auto retail industry for 60+ years, spoke with CBT News about the importance of charitable giving, leadership, and his views on the future of the auto industry. NJ CAR recognizes Burke Subaru for committing to giving back to the community they serve by donating care packages of patient blankets for Cooper Health Cape and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society — New Jersey. Burlington Chevrolet hosted “The Heroes of Burlington County Car Show” on Sunday, September 22, at their dealership. The car show benefited the Joint Base MDL Police/Department of Defense Federal Police Lodge #168, Fraternal Order of Police; the City of Burlington, New Jersey, and Police K9 Unit; and the Burlington County Military Affairs Committee. PHILANTHROPY 24 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
Shout out to Fred Beans Family of Dealerships for their commitment to donating to a variety of charitable organizations for every vehicle sold from Black Friday through the end of this year. Fred Beans’ goal is to fund 100,000 meals to local food pantries in an effort to give back to the community that they serve each day. Congratulations to Kundert Volvo Cars for supporting Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Jersey in Bergen County. CASA is a nonprofit supporting and court-appointed volunteer advocacy for children in the foster system. To view the post, scan the QR code. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1266422444502331 NJ CAR recognizes Circle BMW for its record-breaking year of donating more than $101,000 to a variety of community charities in Monmouth and Ocean counties! NJ CAR recognizes Burke Subaru for hosting a Cape May County Chamber Women’s Only networking event that brought more than 100 women together. The group also collected donations for C.A.R.A., Inc., a local women’s shelter. 25 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
In April 2024, Lester Glenn Auto Group hosted its first-ever Pit Stop Challenge Finale. The original Pit Stop competitions were hosted at each of the nine service centers in late 2023, showcasing M-Level technicians in a competition judged by the senior technicians they work alongside in their shop. For the finale, the winners from each service center faced off in another friendly competition, putting their speed, skills, and accuracy to the test. With three Ocean County Vocational Technical School District (OCVTSD) alumni participating in the finale, instructors and administrators from the OCVTSD’s Automotive Technology program served as judges. All of the competitors did an amazing job representing themselves and their home service centers in front of a crowd of their peers, managers, family, and friends. A big thank you to the competitors for their hard work, for rising to the challenge every day, and for being an incredibly important part of the Lester Glenn team. Congratulations to the winners: • 1st Place: Yonathan Saavedra from Lester Glenn Hyundai. • 2nd Place: Tyler Smolski from Lester Glenn Chevrolet of Freehold. • 3rd Place: Ken Reynolds from Lester Glenn Honda. DEALER HIGHLIGHTS Neighborhood new car and truck dealerships bring value to the car-buying experience by: • Walking customers through the maze of legal and regulatory requirements. • Offering a wide variety of financing options that are often more affordable than a consumer could get on their own. • Providing a hassle-free market for trade-ins. • Saving customers the time and hassle of completing title, registration, and regulatory paperwork. • Providing personalized customer service. Visit https://ow.ly/Woos50SkjAE to learn about even more ways franchised dealerships benefit consumers. NJ CAR recognizes ACE Ford Woodbury, who donated a new Ford Explorer to Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) to help educate the next generation of skilled automotive technicians. Scan the QR code to watch the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBbUcqDzkyI Congratulations to DCH Paramus Honda for receiving a Gold Level PlugStar EV Certified Dealer title! See how your dealership can achieve Gold Level PlugStar status by visiting pluginamerica.org/plugstar. 26 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
GRASSROOTS NJ CAR President Laura Perrotta and six Coalition members — Frank Pezzolla, Douglas Hoover, Romolo Gabrielli, Joseph Cambria, Spencer Campbell, and Jack Licata — testified in front of the Assembly Transportation Committee in support of Bill A4967, which would delay implementation of the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) Rule for two years to allow more time for manufacturers and the state to address a variety of obstacles. See Laura’s written testimony at https://ow.ly/ZH5l50Uqhoy. Thank you to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) for your full-throated support of the Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act (A4380/S3309). This bipartisan bill will ensure thousands of automotive technicians in New Jersey are paid the same wages for their work, regardless of whether it is warranty repair paid by the manufacturer or a customer-paid repair service. Former NJ CAR Chairman Rick DeSilva, Jr. (Liberty Subaru) and NJ CAR President Laura Perrotta were part of the NJBIA 4th Annual Energy Conference, discussing how New Jersey can realistically meet its electric vehicle goals. Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez visited Andy Shapiro with Hudson Auto Group at one of his dealerships. Andy offered refreshing insights to see you enjoy what you do! She also sat down with Jim Appleton and Magdalena Padilla from NJ CAR, where she learned a lot about the needs of the industry, where they are now, and where they are headed. She is grateful for opportunities where she gets to learn from members of the community firsthand and build relationships. New Jersey’s 520 franchised dealerships are proud to serve the mobility needs of all their customers. 27 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
Assemblyman Al Barlas had the pleasure of taking a comprehensive tour of the state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz of Caldwell facility in the company of representatives from NJ CAR. Thank you, Assemblyman Al Barlas, for taking the time to visit a New Jersey dealership and learn more about the automotive retailing industry. Plug-in hybrids are a viable option for many New Jersey consumers who have continuing concerns about range anxiety or vehicle affordability when it comes to a fully electric vehicle. To read more about this topic in a Forbes article titled “Study Reveals The Hybrid Lifeline For EV-Challenged Automakers,” scan the QR code. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ edgarsten/2024/04/29/study-revealsthe-hybrid-lifeline-for-ev-challenged -automakers/?sh=17997d3c4df4 New Jersey’s franchised dealerships are concerned that Governor Murphy’s EV mandate will negatively impact consumer choice and vehicle affordability. Check out the video and article for more details at https://ow.ly/pOEq50SlPPq. 28 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
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