bodhipooh t1_iwjheve wrote on November 16, 2022 at 2:13 AM

Do a search in this subreddit... It's been discussed a lot in the past. For Tesla specific chargers, your options are the Urban superchargers (20 stalls, 72 kWh) at the Newport Centre mall or the superchargers (120 kWh) at the parking lot next to The Oakman. Some buildings have Destination Chargers, but those are only accessible/available to people parking in those lots, and Destination Chargers are garbage unless you can afford the extended charging times. If you don't mind driving a little further out, there are V2 supercharging stations in Kearny (8 stalls, up to 150 kWh) at the Wawa, which is in the same shopping area as a decent Walmart and a small Buy Rite, so a great place to grab some basic groceries and/or booze while you charge. Further out, there are several V3 chargers within ~30 minutes of JC.

Generally, we use the Newport Centre mall chargers every other week, which is enough for our regular needs. If I am in need of some groceries, and feel like going to Whole Foods, the one in Weehawken has free Level 2 charging, so I always grab 20-30 miles while shopping. If you don't mind paying the Chargepoint rates, there are several of those charging stations in town. Download the app for rates and availability. If you are heading south of JC, some of the turnpike service areas have Tesla superchargers (V2, so up to 150 kWh).

shanes3t t1_iwjwufn wrote on November 16, 2022 at 4:19 AM

If I lived in Lafayette, I absolutely would go to that Wawa/ Walmart complex in Kearny provided I didn't have to do it at rush hour.

bodhipooh t1_iwl8eqn wrote on November 16, 2022 at 1:50 PM

Yes, but not so simple lately. The Kearny Supercharger has grown in popularity with the ever growing Tesla fleet in this area, so it is often really backed up. On Monday, in the middle of the day, I was planning to head there as part of a larger trip to run several errands, but instead opted for Newport because Kearny was showing a long wait. And, that has become a very common occurrence for that location. Overall, the best availability is always at the mall. Yeah, it sucks that you have to pay to access the chargers (the fee is now $4, minus the JC resident discount, if you bother getting your ticket validated) but there are always multiple stalls open for use.

DanTheMan16 OP t1_iwl4o7o wrote on November 16, 2022 at 1:17 PM

Thanks for your response. I’ve done quite a bit of research on this sub and I’m comfortable with the infrastructure overall in Jersey City. I’ll most likely mix supercharging at Newport with level 2 charging sprinkled in between.

Have you tried charging at liberty science center at all? They have a solar powered setup with about 12 LV2 chargers. A lot of the charge sharing apps are a bit vague when it comes to access though—seems like you have to pay a fee during the day ($7) but charging is free. People also claim they’ve had access at night, but not sure how that works when there’s a ticketing machine upfront.

bodhipooh t1_iwmhas3 wrote on November 16, 2022 at 7:02 PM

I have never used LSC. But, to be perfectly honest, I would not consider using Level 2 AT ALL, unless it is a charging station where you can conveniently leave your car charging overnight. The most you will get from a Level 2 charger is 22 mi / hr (Chargepoint is actually more like 19 mi / hr) so charging a Tesla could take 10+ hours. It's just not efficient. Especially once you get used to supercharging. The only times I used a Level 2 charger is when I am running an errand and the charger is conveniently located at the same location. So, the free chargers at some Whole Foods locations, or Level 2 chargers in parking lots where I am going to be for a few hours while dining, shopping, etc. Otherwise, I rely entirely on superchargers.