Coalition Aims to Derail Move to Restrict New Sales of Fossil-Fuel Vehicles

A coalition of nearly 100 business and trade groups is pressing lawmakers and the Murphy administration to shelve the proposed ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered cars beginning in 2035.

For the Murphy administration, it represents another mushrooming controversy over its aggressive steps to phase out the state’s reliance on fossil fuels and convert to a clean-energy economy within 20 years. In recent months, criticism has mounted over plans to phase out natural-gas heating of homes and to build offshore wind farms off the coast.