Driving into the Future: Universal Chargers Coming to New Jersey Turnpike

Universal charging stations will be operational on June 6 at six rest areas along the New Jersey Turnpike and the Tesla Superchargers are being removed.

Experts say the news is big for EV drivers who need to juice up on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Up until now, to get a charge, electric vehicles other than Teslas needed an adapter to use Tesla Superchargers at these service station rest stops.

"You have to build up the infrastructure because EVs are the wave of the future," said Jason Barnes.

Barnes is an instructor with the auto technology program at the Philadelphia Community College.

He called the switch to universal chargers a "game changer."

"It has more than one way to charge the vehicles, a universal charger. So, it has one connection to charge, not individual vehicle, but more than type of vehicle," Barnes said.

Barnes said to fill a car with gas, drivers just need to pull up and pay.

But to charge an EV some drivers carry an adapter in their trunk to connect to the Tesla charger.

"When the industry was extremely new, different manufacturers were using different ports or different chargers or different adapters," he said.

Barnes said the move to Universal Charges means now you can charge your EV by just plugging in because those adapter plugs will be available at the pump.

"It doesn't make a difference who makes the car - Ford, Chevy, a Toyota."

Applegreen Electric will operate the stalls at the six rest areas.

The chargers deliver up to 350 kilowatts of power which they say can get you back on the road in minutes.

"We're getting to the point where the charges will take, they're comparable to just filling up a gasoline. We're getting to that point," said Barnes.

The first six service areas transitioning along the New Jersey Turnpike on Friday, June 6 are: Vince Lombardi, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Stockton, James Fenimore Cooper, Joyce Kilmer and Walt Whitman.

The Molly Pitcher Service Area is expected to be in service in July and the Clara Barton and John Fenwick service stations in Salem County by the fall.