New Jersey Turnpike to Replace Tesla Chargers After Contract Expires
The agency that runs the highway said it was switching to another company to provide chargers that work for electrical vehicles other than just Teslas.The agency that runs the New Jersey Turnpike is replacing the more than 60 superchargers for Tesla vehicles along the highway after the state did not renew its contract with the electric-car maker.New Jersey officials said in a statement on Friday that the state would shift to another company that would provide universal charging stations. The change, already underway, will almost triple the number of charging stations along the turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, a second major toll road, where chargers are being added for the first time.The decision drew an apparently irked response from the company’s chief executive, Elon Musk. “Sounds like corruption,” he wrote on his social media platform, X, on Friday night, without providing any evidence. Mr. Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.Thomas Feeney, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which operates the highways, said that the decision was both about increasing the number of stations and providing chargers that were compatible with more than just Tesla vehicles. “Our goal is to serve as many E.V. owners as possible across all our service areas,” he said.The state has amended its agreement with Applegreen, an Irish company that already manages restaurants and stores in the turnpike’s service areas, to include its new line of fast charging stations to replace the Tesla equipment and build new stations elsewhere.In a message posted to X on Friday, Tesla said it would continue to offer its superchargers in New Jersey. “We have been preparing for 3 years for this potential outcome by building 116 stalls off the New Jersey Turnpike, ensuring no interruption for our customers,” said the post, which included a map of the charging stations.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More