The New Jersey Turnpike Authority opted not to renew a contract for Tesla Superchargers on the popular toll road. Instead, New Jersey will remove more than six dozen Superchargers from the turnpike in favor of Universal Open Access EV chargers from a third-party service. But Tesla says it has plans to provide continued access to users on the turnpike. 

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is choosing to shut down 64 Tesla Superchargers in favor of a third party

The Garden State will soon be home to 64 fewer Tesla Superchargers. Specifically, it’s the New Jersey Turnpike, home to over one million commuters, travelers, and truckers on a daily basis. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority ordered the removal of the Superchargers after opting not to renew a contract with Tesla. 

According to NJ.com, the high-volume highway will transition to Universal Open Access EV chargers, replacing the 64 Tesla units, starting this Friday. The NJTA said the Applegreen Electric charging architecture will work with all varieties of EVs. 

Tesla says it’s been planning for this, and the move is a ‘setback’ for NJ’s EV adoption goals

“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,” Tesla said in a statement to supercharger users. “The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has requested that Tesla decommission all 64 Supercharger stalls on the major highway.”

“Tesla always advocates for more infrastructure and co-location with additional third-party charging providers,” the statement said. “This drives down costs through optionality, and accelerates EV adoption by having sufficient capacity to shoulder peaks.” However, as positive as that outlook sounds, Tesla sees the move by the NJTA as a “setback” for the state’s EV adoption goals. Specifically, New Jersey has a 100% zero-emissions goal for new cars sold in the state.

“We are still willing to invest in New Jersey Turnpike sites if the New Jersey Turnpike or Murphy want to reverse this decision,” the electric car marque added. “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.”