Latest news with #NJTA
The Drive
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Elon Musk Claims 'Corruption' Over New Jersey Decommissioning Superchargers
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Elon Musk, the CEO of multiple companies including Tesla, just supposedly exited his time attempting to gut the U.S. government. Days later the black-eyed (literally) executive is accusing a government-run agency of corruption. On Friday, the Tesla Charging (formerly known as Twitter) account posted that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) will not allow the automaker to 'co-locate' its chargers with other types of charges. Further, according to the Tesla-owned account, the NJTA asked the automaker to decommission 64 existing Supercharger stalls. Musk responded to a post on the social media platform, which he owns, stating, 'sounds like corruption.' Elon Musk Claims Corruption by NJTA on The NJTA issued a statement on Friday stating the New Jersey Turnpike will transition to 'Universal Open Access EV chargers on June 6.' Those chargers will be provided solely by Applegreen Electric, and are said to be compatible with all makes and models of EVs. The NJTA did not mention whether the new chargers will use CCS or NACS ports, nor did it mention charging output or how many chargers are coming online. PlugShare reveals that the Vince Lombardi Service Station charger is operational already with seven CCS plugs and 1 NACS plug. Tesla's post said the automaker has been preparing for this for three years by building 116 charging stalls along the New Jersey Turnpike that would serve as replacements to the 64 being decommissioned. Tesla claimed in the post that it offered the NJTA 'above-market commercial terms,' which included offering to build Superchargers at the New Jersey service plaza with equipment upgrades. The claimed upgrades would have included Superchargers with screens and NACS cables equipped with CCS1 'magic docks' (Tesla's adapter for NACS to CCS1). The removal of Superchargers, which are known to be the most reliable of the charging networks in the U.S. market today, seems at odds with New Jersey's EV adoption goals. The state plans to have all new car sales be zero-emissions by 2035, which is a plan that was announced in 2023. Got a tip? Email us at tips@
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk Cries 'Corruption' as Tesla Superchargers Disappear from Key US Route
Elon Musk Cries 'Corruption' as Tesla Superchargers Disappear from Key US Route originally appeared on Autoblog. A common dealbreaker that new car buyers say steers them out of electric vehicles is the sheer state of the charging infrastructure compared to gas-powered cars. Although manufacturers like Ford, Hyundai, Genesis, and Honda offer new owners the opportunity to install a free home charging unit, this is not an entirely "one-size-fits-all" solution for all owners for various reasons. However, as public EV charging appears in more public places and heavily trafficked corridors for the general public's use, one of America's busiest highways has taken a massive chunk of its EV charging offline. According to a new report by NJ Advance Media and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority has ordered Tesla to decommission and remove 64 Superchargers at rest stops along the New Jersey Turnpike, the stretch of I-95 spanning northern and southern New Jersey. Per a May 30 statement from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), the state agency responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, the move comes as the agency decided to transition to what it calls "Universal Open Access EV chargers" starting on June 6. These chargers, which are provided by Applegreen Electric (an arm of Irish company Applegreen, who operates NJTA's service areas), are said to be compatible "with all makes and models of EVs" and will be available on June 6 at various service areas across the Turnpike including the Vince Lombardi, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Stockton, James Fenimore Cooper, Joyce Kilmer, and Walt Whitman Service Areas, with additional chargers at the Molly Pitcher Service Area in July and the Clara Barton and John Fenwick Service Areas in Fall 2025. According to early user-reported data from Plugshare, these chargers are capable of up to 400 kW charging and are usually located next to Tesla Superchargers at select service areas. However, this move is not without conflict. In a lengthy post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on May 30, the official account for Tesla Charging wrote that the Turnpike Authority's order came after it rejected any requests to coexist with the Applegreen chargers on the Turnpike, adding that it had been "preparing for 3 years for this potential outcome by building 116 stalls off the New Jersey Turnpike" in certain high-traffic areas. Tesla says that it offered the NJTA "above-market commercial terms" to sweeten the deal, including offering its NJ Turnpike Superchargers with "screens and NACS with CCS1 'magic docks.'" Ultimately, Tesla called the NJTA's decision to decommission its Superchargers a step back for all EV users who use the Turnpike. 'Tesla always advocates for more infrastructure and co-location with additional third-party charging providers. This drives down costs through optionality and accelerates EV adoption by having sufficient capacity to shoulder peaks,' the automaker said on X. Despite reaching out to invest in the state, Tesla claims that the NJTA's decision to remove Tesla superchargers is a setback for EV drivers. "We expect that ~30 times more fast-charging capacity is needed to get to full EV adoption," it said on X. "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. It removes Turnpike access to the most reliable (99.9% uptime), least congested (<1% waiters), and cost-effective (~30% lower $/kWh) charging." In a May 30 post responding to a quote tweet from Tesla fan and Model Y owner Sawyer Merritt, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the NJTA's decision "sounds like corruption." I do not own an EV, but I live in New Jersey, and while I observe that EV charging is very prevalent in many convenient places adjacent to major highways, including shopping malls like the infamous American Dream mall, large retail centers where Walmarts and Targets are located, and non-service-area roadside stops like Wawas, I view the loss of Superchargers on the Turnpike as a bit of a disservice to EV owners. The New Jersey Turnpike is a major thoroughfare connecting two major Northeastern cities, New York and Philadelphia. Many drivers who travel on it pass through with a further destination in mind, and the faster out of Jersey, the better. It's not just Teslas that charge at Superchargers. So far, Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Hyundai, and Genesis are just some of the manufacturers that support it, with others like Honda and Acura soon to have that capability. Though one may view Tesla Supercharging as anything but universal, as someone who has had to wait upwards of hours in line to charge non-Tesla EVs at "universal stations," keeping the Superchargers where they were would help ease any potential congestion these Applegreen chargers will have. Trust me, there will be congestion. The service areas on the Turnpike have Shake Shacks, Dunkins, and Popeyes now. Elon Musk Cries 'Corruption' as Tesla Superchargers Disappear from Key US Route first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Jersey is removing Tesla chargers from its turnpike. What about Mass.?
The removal of more than 60 Tesla Superchargers is underway from the super highway connecting northern and southern New Jersey. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) made the decision to instead go with a sole third-party charging provider to serve the state's turnpike and has not allowed Tesla to co-locate, the business wrote on X. '... NJTA requested 64 existing Supercharger stalls on the New Jersey Turnpike to not be renewed and be decommissioned,' the post reads. 'We have been preparing for three years for this potential outcome by building 116 stalls off the New Jersey Turnpike, ensuring no interruption for our customers.' Service areas on the New Jersey Turnpike will begin transitioning fully to Universal Open Access EV chargers on June 6, NJTA wrote on May 30 in a statement. The chargers, provided by Applegren Electric, are compatible with all makes and models of EVs. Tesla called the decision to eliminate the charging stations a setback for EV users on the highway, adding that it offered the NJTA above-market commercial terms, including an offer to build Superchargers at all New Jersey service plazas and with equipment upgrades like screens and NACS with CCS1 'magic docks.' 'Tesla always advocates for more infrastructure and co-location with additional third-party charging providers,' Tesla wrote. 'This drives down costs through optionality and accelerates EV adoption by having sufficient capacity to shoulder peaks.' Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, there are 97 Tesla Supercharger locations, according to Loan Center. While the majority of these locations are contracted with a business, four are located in plazas owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the agency told MassLive. 'MassDOT has contracted with Tesla to host Superchargers at 4 service plazas: Charlton East, Charlton West, Newton and Lexington,' the agency told MassLive. None of these locations will be canceled, MassDOT added. Tesla hopes that NJTA or New Jersey's Gov. Phil Murphy will change their minds regarding the state's cancelation. 'We are willing to invest in New Jersey Turnpike sites if the New Jersey Turnpike or Murphy want to reverse this decision,' the X post reads. '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.' Read the original article on MassLive.
Fast Company
4 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Tesla Superchargers are being removed from the NJ Turnpike as state opts for third-party EV chargers
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) announced its plans last week to transition to Universal Open Access chargers for electric vehicles as soon as June 6. In preparation for the transition, the NJTA asked Tesla to remove 64 existing Tesla Superchargers from the highly trafficked thoroughfare. Applegreen Electric will provide the new third-party charges, which will be compatible with all makes and models of EVs, the NJTA said. 'The universal chargers will be available as of June 6 at the Vince Lombardi, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Stockton, James Fenimore Cooper, Joyce Kilmer, and Walt Whitman Service Areas,' the authority said in a statement. 'The Turnpike Authority is working diligently with Applegreen to get the universal chargers online soon at three other Turnpike locations.' According to the NJTA, the universal chargers are expected to be operational at the Molly Pitcher Service Area next month and Clara Barton and John Fenwick Service Areas this fall. The transition is part of a larger agreement The NJTA had previously reached an agreement with Applegreen Electric to operate service areas along the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. An amendment to the agreement was authorized in 2023 to include the installation of EV chargers. As part of the amended agreement, Applegreen Electric will install and operate 80 EV charging ports by the end of this year and a total of 240 EV charging ports by April 2033. Blackstone-backed Applegreen Electric says it has over 600 locations across Ireland, the UK, and the United States. In the U.S., its chargers are concentrated in the Northeast. Tesla and Tesla users are not happy Tesla confirmed the news in a statement on X: '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.' The automotive company explained that it had spent the last three years building 116 stalls off the New Jersey Turnpike in preparation for this outcome. Tesla said it remains hopeful that NJTA or New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will reverse the decision. In response to a tweet that shared the news, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote, 'Sounds like corruption.' Paul Kanitra, a Republican member of New Jersey's general assembly, further expressed outrage over the decision. 'I agree that these decisions by the NJTA are absolutely absurd and will be asking that it gets looked into immediately,' he posted on X. Fast Company contacted Murphy's office for comment and will update if we receive a response. Some EV drivers prefer Superchargers The reaction to the news has been mixed. In a recent article for InsideEVs, writer Suvrat Kothari discussed the news and shared his experiences using different EV charging stations along the New Jersey Turnpike. Kothari explained he has had trouble when using non-Tesla chargers.
