Watch CBS News

New Electric Car 'Quick Charger' Port Unveiled In New Jersey

By Paul Kurtz

CARNEYS POINT TOWNSHIP, NJ (CBS) - The project to install infrastructure for electric powered vehicles has a taken giant step forward in our area with the arrival of a so-called 'quick charger' port. The system is tucked away in the back of a travel plaza in Carneys Point.

Two associates from the company Ecotality showed Exton Nissan representative Chris Casey how to charge a 2013 Nissan Leaf in about 30 minutes with a level three 440 DC quick charger port. A half hour wait is quite a jump from the 4 to 8 hours it takes to power up a car with the commonly used level two charger.

quickcharger1_kurtz
A closer look at the "blink" electric car charging station. (Credit: Paul Kurtz)

It's called Blink and Casey believes it's a game changer. "We had talked about electric vehicles for such a long time. Now the infrastructure's here and its' going to become more and more of an option for the everyday driver."

Ecotality's Mark Peck recently completed the installation of a 440 DC loop in Tennessee that allows plug-in motorists to navigate the entire state without worrying about their batteries dying.

"I've taken an electric vehicle and gone from Chattanooga to Knoxville to Nashville which is a triangle," Peck said. "And you can go that whole loop in an electric vehicle right now."

Peck predicts that in 10 years we'll see electric cars travelling coast to coast on a regular basis.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.