In our spotlight on Business Report tonight, a group of business leaders joined with lawmakers at the state House today decrying a California rule that's been adopted by New Jersey.

The rule pushes the state towards 100% electric vehicles sold in the state by 2035.

Opponents of the rule say it stifles consumer demand and could hurt the economy, while those who support it say it keeps the state on track with its clean energy goals.

Ted Goldberg spoke to folks on both sides of this highly charged issue.

What they are trying to bring to the table, it's not going to work at all.

It's going to hurt a lot of people.

Paulsboro Mayor John Giovannini was part of this crowd in Trenton today advocating against a new state rule that will mandate car companies to sell more zero emission vehicles in New Jersey.

The rule has been adopted statewide after it was first introduced in California.

This federal mandate demands that we go from 11% of EVs on the road to 100% in 11 years.

Around the same time I was mayor.

That is not only impractical, it is.

Impossible.

This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue.

Rather, it's about jobs and giving Americans the freedom to choose the kind of car that they choose to drive.

The bipartisan group had several arguments.

Chief among them was concern about people being put out of work.

These regulations threaten jobs and the traditional automotive, manufacturing and maintenance across our state, whereby they will cause significant hardship to workers.

We're going to.

Trade our hard earned energy security for dependence on China.

That makes absolutely no sense.

Some of the speakers said they have no issue with electric vehicles themselves.

They just want the free market to sort out how many people are buying them.

We should be incentivizing, not mandating people to go to electric vehicles.

We support rational, market based strategies to transition to a zero emission future, but we don't support government mandates that restrict consumer choice or that will make the purchase of a new car virtually unaffordable.

The rally was nicknamed the Save Our Jobs Don't Bang Our Cars rally, which rankled people who support EVs.

These mandates are not bans and the opposition likes to call them bans because that gets people crazy and excited.

No one is saying you have to buy in every day or next year.

What these regulations are doing is putting a thumb on the scale to move the market for more electric vehicles.

That thumb on the scale is a thumb too much for these folks.

Another worry is if the Garden State has the electrical infrastructure to handle so many EVs.

According to DEP data, New Jersey has installed about 2000 charging ports over the last decade, supplementing those who charge at home.

Speakers in the capital say it won't be enough or.

Electrical infrastructure is completely unprepared for the electrification of our transportation concerns.

In New Jersey is the primary driver of the need for this event today.

When it comes to light duty vehicles, our grid can handle it right.

Utilities have to do normal upgrading of their infrastructure.

As it turns out, most people will charge at home at night.

Cost has come down on electric vehicles.

The battery life has increased.

The areas to charge have gotten better.

And so all of this has improved over the course of the last decade and especially the last four years.

What happens over the next few years will be worth watching as energy and environmental advocates continue to debate the future of travel.

In Trenton, I'm Ted Goldberg.

NJ Spotlight News.