December 2025,

New Jersey’s shift to electric vehicles is accelerating. The state has over 250,000 EV registrations as of late 2025, a 15% jump from late 2024. But, while EV adoption is rising statewide, access to reliable charging is not growing evenly and disadvantaged communities continue to have fewer public chargers.

For many apartment residents in these neighborhoods, this gap is especially frustrating. Unlike homeowners, renters depend on public charging, which is often far from where they live. At the same time, owners of older apartment complexes may be reluctant to install charging stations, simply because they do not know that grants are available to cover costs.

 A Community Based Partnership

To meet this challenge, EZ Ride provided an EV 101 presentation for   Paterson community leaders from NJ GreenFaith and the NJ Black Issues Convention, two statewide advocacy organizations, made up of religious and Black community leaders who address issues affecting Black communities such as community health and air pollution.

Local leaders, Rev. Randall Lassiter, Rev. Ronald Tuff, and Jeffery Jones, former Mayor of Paterson attended and helped to ground the dialogue in community priorities and trust.

Raising Awareness

The discussions covered the “why” and the “how” of electrification:

• community and health benefits of EVs
• charging technology basics
• range anxiety and EV realities
• State grant opportunities
• the technical support EZ Ride can provide

Participants were candid about real barriers: limited access, unreliable chargers, electrical safety, complicated grant processes, choosing the right technology, and installation costs.

From Education to Action

These sessions quickly produced concrete next steps:

GreenFaith and the Black Issues Convention members will work with EZ Ride to connect apartment owners who are ready to explore EV charging for their properties.

Calvary Baptist Church is moving forward with plans to install EV chargers on church property, serving both congregation members and the wider Paterson community.

To support both efforts, EZ Ride will provide hands-on technical assistance, including:

• parking lot and site assessments
• grant application support
• connections to state-approved electricians
• guidance on charging providers and equipment options

“This partnership with EZ Ride turns our values into action. Reliable EV charging means healthier air and more choices for families in Paterson, especially those who’ve been left out of past investments.” – Jeffery Jones, NJ Black Issues Convention and former Mayor of Paterson

Why This Work Matters

Apartment residents in disadvantaged communities represent roughly a third of New Jersey’s population, yet they have the least access to affordable, convenient EV charging. Closing this gap is essential if the transition to electric transportation is going to be fair and if every family is going to share in cleaner air, healthier streets, and lower transportation costs.

By pairing trusted community leadership with practical resources and grant awareness, this partnership is helping ensure that every neighborhood can participate in and benefit from the electric future.

Want to learn more or partner with us? Email [email protected] or 201-939-4242 (option 6).