In tonight's Spotlight on Business Report, New Jerseyans know the benefits of electric cars, but that doesn't mean they're ready to switch.

A new Rutgers Eagleton poll finds half of Garden State residents are opposed to Governor Murphy's plan to phase out the sale of new gas powered vehicles by 2035.

A majority of people said they understand electric is better for public health and the environment.

But a majority also said they are not likely to buy electric, citing concerns about EV costs and charging station availability.

The poll comes as The New York Times reports that the Biden administration is considering tweaking the federal emission standards rules that will drive the electric vehicle transition.

According to the report, the proposed rules may be adjusted to be more lenient in coming years, likely delaying the switch to EVs until after 2030.

In response to political pressure from auto workers unions, former President Donald Trump has been strongly opposed to electric cars.

Ashley Koning of Rutgers says the push for electric will be an important issue this campaign season.

The tricky thing here is even though opinion is split pretty evenly, you know, it's it's politicians kind of have to be wary when treating this issue simply because you don't know where independents are necessarily going to lie, especially if they look much more like overall New Jerseyans or like Republicans, and especially because those who are most supportive are already squarely in the Democrats camp and are not new voters, that the Democrats could turn out in their favor.