Tesla Warns Drivers About Monumental NJ Charging Station Decision
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Tesla announced it will decommission 64 Supercharger stalls along the New Jersey Turnpike after the state awarded an exclusive electric vehicle (EV) charging contract to a competing provider.
The decision by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) prompted criticism from Tesla, which described the move as a setback for the state's zero-emission goals.
'Decommissioned'
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the company wrote, "The New Jersey Turnpike Authority ('NJTA') has chosen a sole third-party charging provider to serve the New Jersey Turnpike and is not allowing us to co-locate.
"As a result, NJTA requested 64 existing Supercharger stalls on the New Jersey Turnpike to not be renewed and be decommissioned."
NJTA spokesperson Thomas Feeney told Newsweek in an email that EV charging company Applegreen, "Already had an agreement with the Turnpike Authority to operate restaurants and travel marts in the service areas."
Stock image: Tesla electric vehicle recharging stations.
Stock image: Tesla electric vehicle recharging stations.
Photo by Dirk Van Geel / Getty Images
Why It Matters
Tesla said the removal of Tesla's Superchargers from high-traffic highway plazas will reduce fast-charging options for New Jersey's EV drivers.
The affected stations, located at eight service plazas, had previously provided Tesla owners with rapid charging options directly on the turnpike.
In the same tweet, Tesla said the "NJTA's decision to remove, rather than add, critical charging infrastructure is a setback for New Jersey's EV adoption goals of 100% Zero-Emission New Car Sales by 2035."
The NJTA, however, said that Applegreen committed to installing 240 EV chargers on the turnpike and Garden State Parkway, the two roads operated by the Turnpike Authority, where as Tesla has maintained 76 chargers, exclusively on the turnpike.
According to Feeney, Applegreen proposed installing universal, open access chargers in all 21 service areas on the turnpike and the parkway.
"The Applegreen Electric chargers work on every make and model of EV, including Teslas," Feeney said.
"Half of the chargers in each service area use [a North American Charging Standard] connection, which is the Tesla standard."
What To Know
Service areas on the New Jersey Turnpike will begin transitioning to Universal Open Access EV chargers starting June 6, according to a May 30 statement from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Newsweek reached out to Tesla on June 6 requesting further comment.
What's Next
Tesla indicated it remains open to collaboration if state officials reconsider.
"We are still willing to invest in New Jersey Turnpike sites if [the New Jersey Turnpike] or [Governor Phil] Murphy want to reverse this decision," the company said in its tweet.
"Otherwise, we will continue to build out the best possible infrastructure off the turnpike to serve Tesla owners and the electric vehicle drivers of New Jersey."
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