The Pennsylvania Turnpike Adds EV has added new high-speed electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations at both Somerset service plazas—North Somerset (westbound) and South Somerset (eastbound)—strengthening a critical charging link for drivers crossing the state on I-76.
Each plaza now hosts two high-power charging units that can charge two vehicles at once, for a total of four ports per location. The new sites are part of a wider Turnpike program that will equip all 17 service plazas with universal fast charging by 2027.
What’s Been Installed—and Why It Matters
The Somerset installations are designed for speed and compatibility. According to the PTC, each plaza contains two high-speed chargers capable of delivering up to 400 kW, with simultaneous charging on two ports per unit (four ports per plaza).
The equipment supports both the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and the Combined Charging System (CCS), so virtually any modern EV can plug in without an adapter. Typical sessions can add a significant range in about 30 minutes or less, giving long-distance travelers a reliable, on-route option without detouring into town.
Geographically, the chargers sit near milepost 112.3—North Somerset serving westbound traffic and South Somerset serving eastbound—right where many intercity trips need a mid-journey top-up. That’s a meaningful coverage gain for a corridor where temperature, elevation, and winter weather can all swing real-world range.
Part of a Bigger Charging Build-out
Somerset isn’t a one-off. The Turnpike first experimented with EV charging more than a decade ago and, over the years, has layered in a mix of Level 2 and DC fast-charging options at several plazas. The new Somerset sites launch a scaling phase under a partnership with Applegreen Electric, which will roll out ~80 additional universal fast-charging stations across the system so that every service plaza features EV charging by 2027.
As of August 2025, the Turnpike notes there are already 60+ charging stations at eight plazas, and it is migrating toward faster, universal hardware going forward.
Local outlets reporting on the announcement also point to Hickory Run as another plaza in the near-term pipeline and note that the Somerset chargers benefited from Pennsylvania DEP’s “Driving PA Forward” grants—state funding aimed at reducing transportation emissions.
(Some early coverage described the Somerset units as opening “this fall,” while other reporting and the PTC announcement framed them as added/available now; either way, the takeaway is that Somerset is now covered, with more plazas queued up.)
Sustainability and Resilience Goals
The charging expansion dovetails with the Turnpike’s broader sustainability push—PTC has publicly set the ambition to become “America’s first sustainable superhighway” by 2040.
Alongside chargers, the agency is piloting on-site solar microgrids and exploring inductive (wireless) charging pilots to harden infrastructure and reduce carbon footprint over time. The EV build-out, in other words, is part of a multi-front energy strategy rather than a stand-alone amenity.
What This Means For Travelers Today
For drivers headed between Pittsburgh and the Lehigh Valley/Philadelphia region (or through Somerset County toward Maryland and West Virginia), the Somerset plazas provide a convenient, safe, and well-lit place to stop, eat, and charge without leaving the toll road.
The PTC emphasizes the convenience of “on-route” charging—stopping where you already planned to take a break—rather than navigating to off-corridor stations. And because the plazas are part of a system with round-the-clock food and fuel, they’re suited to early-morning and late-night runs as well.
If you’re mapping a longer trip, Somerset’s central position means you can space other charging stops more flexibly—potentially making just one additional fast-charge stop before or after Somerset, depending on your vehicle, weather, and driving speed.
FAQs
1) Where exactly are the new chargers?
They’re at the North Somerset (westbound) and South Somerset (eastbound) service plazas on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, near milepost 112.3 in Somerset County.
2) How many chargers are at each plaza?
Each plaza has two high-speed charging units, and each unit can charge two vehicles at once, so four ports per location.
3) What charging connectors do they support?
The stations support NACS and CCS, covering nearly all modern EVs sold in North America.
4) How fast are the chargers?
Up to 400 kW. Real-world charging speeds vary by vehicle and state-of-charge, but the Turnpike says sessions can deliver a rapid top-up in 30 minutes or less.
5) Are they open 24/7?
Service plazas provide round-the-clock amenities on the Turnpike; the new stations are integrated into those plazas. For any temporary closures or maintenance windows, check on-site signage or the PTC newsroom updates before you go.
6) Do I need a specific app or membership?
The PTC announcement does not prescribe a specific app or membership. Because the sites are operated with Applegreen Electric and use universal standards (NACS/CCS), expect typical public fast-charging workflows (tap card/app, plug in, charge). Final pricing and payment details are posted on-site at the charger.
7) How does this fit into the Turnpike’s overall plan?
Somerset is part of a systemwide program to install ~80 new universal fast-charging stations so that all 17 service plazas have EV charging by 2027.
8) What about other plazas—are there chargers elsewhere on the Turnpike?
Yes. Historically, the Turnpike has hosted Level 2 charging at several plazas (e.g., Oakmont-Plum, Bowmansville, Peter J. Camiel, King of Prussia), and some western-PA plazas also feature Tesla Superchargers. The Somerset additions build on that footprint with higher-power, universal hardware.
9) Who funded the Somerset installations?
Coverage of the announcement notes the Somerset chargers received support from the Pennsylvania DEP’s Driving PA Forward program—part of the Commonwealth’s effort to reduce emissions and expand charging access.
10) Are more upgrades coming beyond fast chargers?
The PTC is pursuing microgrids at facilities and studying inductive (wireless) charging pilots. Long-term plans contemplate broader on-corridor energy independence to improve resilience.
11) I heard some reports say “added now” and others say “opening this fall.” Which is it?
Announcements were made Aug. 19–20, 2025. The PTC says the chargers have been added at both Somerset plazas; one regional outlet reported the sites would open in the fall. In practice, that often means hardware is installed and coming online in phases.
12) Why is Somerset such a strategic location?
Range-wise, Somerset sits at a natural break point for east-west trips, with nearby grade changes and winter conditions that can trim range. Putting universal, high-power chargers in both directions reduces detours and makes the Turnpike a more dependable EV corridor. (This is the logic the PTC cites for expanding “on-route” charging at service plazas rather than relying on off-highway sites.)
Summary
With universal connectors, up to up-to-400 kW speeds, and four total ports at each plaza, the Somerset service plazas now offer EV drivers a fast, convenient, on-route charging stop in both directions. The additions are a visible step in the Turnpike’s multi-year plan to blanket all 17 plazas with fast charging by 2027 and to advance its broader 2040 sustainability goals.
If you regularly traverse western and central Pennsylvania—or you’re planning a cross-state trip—Somerset’s new chargers make it that much easier to stay on the Turnpike, grab a break, and be back on the road with meaningful range in roughly half an hour.