March 11, 2024

New Jersey Auto Dealers care about their communities. From providing food and essential goods and services to raising money to fight childhood cancer, they do it all. Giving back is a way of life for them and New Jersey is better because of it.

Consumer interest in EVs is real, strong, and growing. According to Escalent research, the proportion of “EV intenders” — new-car buyers that have a high propensity to shop for an EV — has climbed from 16% in 2020 to 25% in 2023, but the increasing interest in EVs is not translating into more purchases.

NJ CAR has been educating dealers for months about the proposed federal and state electric vehicle mandates aimed at dramatically increasing the number of EVs on the road. Dealers are “all-in” on EVs, but the Coalition has cautioned Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to take a more realistic approach to achieving a 100% EV future.

Ray Catena, President of Ray Catena Motor Car Corporation, was recently selected as New Jersey’s 2024 TIME Dealer of the Year (TDOY) award winner. Ray was recognized for his exceptional industry accomplishments, as well as his commitment to community service. He was honored at the 107th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 3, 2024. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. Ray was one of 49 auto dealers nominated for the 55th annual award from more than 16,000 nationwide.

My tenure as NJ CAR Chairman ran through the end of 2023. Time really does fly when you’re having fun … if you call “dealing with all of the legal, legislative and public affairs challenges the car business faced this past year” fun. We can all agree that 2023 was a great year in the car business for dealers and manufacturers, but we can also see the challenges that lie ahead.

Assemblywoman Ellen Park 37th Legislative District 1) What inspired you to run for office and become a legislator? I came to this country with my parents when I was six years old. I worked hard to learn the language, excel in my studies and eventually graduate from law school. I know I had the quintessential

Effective October 30, 2023 (extended from September 15, 2023), dealerships must conform to New Powers of Attorney (POAs), Odometer Disclosure Statement, and new rules for General and Limited POAs announced by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC). NJ CAR has hosted several webinars and produced both a comprehensive FAQ document and a Quick Reference Guide. All of these materials are accessible under the News section of the NJ CAR website (www.njcar.org).

We’ve said it a million times; New Jersey’s neighborhood new car and truck dealerships are ALL-IN when it comes to selling and servicing EVs, and they want to sell what consumers want to buy.

The Direct Sales model is WRONG FOR CONSUMERS. New Jersey has been at the forefront of this fight for several years, but direct sales fights continue to rage all over the country, as you will see in our featured story from this issue of New Jersey Auto Retailer. Initially, it was just Tesla, but now Rivian, Lucid and other startups are taking up the mantle and trying to gain special consideration from Legislatures coast to coast. Even some legacy automakers are toying with the idea of breaking off their EV product into standalone companies.