Fast Charge TN Sites denoted by green icons

Earlier this month, a new Fast Charge TN installation came online in Athens, closing a loop on over 400 miles of electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the state. The Fast Charge TN Network is a collaboration of TDEC, TVA, and local power companies installing EV chargers no more than 50 miles apart along Tennessee’s interstates and major highways. This closed loop of all left turns touches the cities of Nashville, Cookeville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, where EV fast chargers are now located no more than 34 miles apart.

This milestone follows the recent release of a Notice of Intent for the second round of funding under the Fast Charge TN Program, with a project solicitation expected in the coming months. An interactive version of the infrastructure gap map details the 13 priority infrastructure gap areas. Questions related to the upcoming solicitation can be directed to TDEC.OEP@tn.gov.

Image courtesy of Dayton Electric Department

In collaboration with TDEC, TVA, and Seven States Power Corporation, the City of Dayton and the Dayton Electric Department recently celebrated the installation of two new EV fast charging stations at the Rhea County Welcome Center. The stations are part of TDEC and TVA’s Fast Charge TN Network.

The TN Department of Economic and Community Development recently announced that two collaborating teams would receive $500,000 each in funding under the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative.

Vanderbilt University, which leads the research arm of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s I-24 MOTION testbed, will partner with Motive, an AI company that helps physical operations teams improve safety, to increase driver safety along Tennessee’s I-24 corridor. Headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Nashville and around the world, Motive brings expertise in AI and driver safety to this initiative. Using Motive’s platform data, Vanderbilt researchers will analyze collision patterns to develop proactive safety protocols that reduce accidents and save lives along one of Tennessee’s busiest freight corridors.

Tennessee State University (TSU) will partner with GEODIS, a multimodal and ground transportation and logistics provider, to optimize freight routing by developing predictive models capable of reducing congestion and improving routing decisions.  GEODIS will share its relevant traffic, logistics, freight movement, and multimodal transport data with TSU in an effort to reduce congestion, increase efficiency, and increase road safety for freight vehicles. The project will also foster public-private collaborations, with organizations such as TDOT’s Freight Planning Division and leading logistics firms.

The Oshkosh Corporation recently celebrated the opening of its new Oshkosh Vocational facility in Murfreesboro. The facility will assemble commercial vehicles and equipment, including all-electric refuse trucks. Learn more about open positions at the Tennessee facility here.

The Technology-Enhanced Advanced Mobility in Tennessee (TEAM TN) initiative recently announced its inaugural board of directors. TEAM TN brings together more than 200 public and private stakeholders including universities, national laboratories, startups, economic and community development agencies, and employers to drive economic growth, innovation, and workforce development through mobility-focused innovation. The coalition’s ten-year vision is centered on electrification and automation in mobility, with an emphasis on developing ten AI-inspired information and communication technologies (ICT). The newly appointed board of directors represents stakeholders from across Tennessee’s mobility innovation ecosystem, including TDEC Commissioner David Salyers and TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter.

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host the EV Small Business Supplier Forum on June 5 in Chattanooga. As EVs, emerging technologies, and groundbreaking innovations continue to transform the automotive industry, the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), Tennessee Advanced Mobility Alliance (TAMA), and TriState Minority Supplier Development Council (TSMSDC) are uniting leading industry experts to explore the latest advancements, research priorities, and workforce solutions, all through the lens of empowering diverse suppliers within the evolving EV landscape. The agenda will include legislative updates, EV community awareness and education, and information on access to capital.

Drive Electric TN (DET) will host its third annual Momentum Summit at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on June 24. The Momentum Summit will focus on transportation electrification efforts, including economic and environmental benefits, infrastructure progress, and university and college research on transportation electrification topics. Contact Alex Strong at alex@driveelectrictn.org with questions or for a DET member registration code.

The 2025 Forth Roadmap Conference, an annual event that convenes leaders in the electric transportation space, will take place October 14-16 in Detroit, MI. The conference will allow attendees to forge relationships and gain valuable insights in a highly interactive format from industry and community leaders, including utilities, local governments, vehicle original equipment manufacturers, charging providers, technology startups, public interest groups, and communities.

The 2025 Governor’s Conference, or GovCon, will be held November 4-5 in Murfreesboro. The event will bring together leaders from across the state to define what economic development means to communities. GovCon is the premier event for networking and collaboration, designed to elevate business, community, and rural development efforts across Tennessee.

TDEC has released its fifth solicitation for projects under the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust (VW Settlement EMT). The purpose of the EMT is to execute environmental mitigation projects that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. Under this solicitation, $19.4 million in EMT funding is available for eligible projects.

The VW Settlement EMT Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Replacement Grant Program, managed by the TDEC Office of Energy Programs, will provide financial assistance to public, non-profit, and private fleets in Tennessee to replace eligible medium- and heavy-duty vehicles with alternate fueled (e.g., propane, natural gas, hybrid) or all-electric vehicles. Fleets may also apply to repower eligible medium- and heavy-duty vehicles with alternate-fuel or all-electric engines or drivetrains.

TDEC recently hosted an application workshop via webinar on April 11. The recording from the workshop is available here, and the presentation slides are available here. Applicants who did not attend the live webinar session will be required to view the recording prior to application submission. The application workshop provides guidance on the application process and program terms and conditions, including project eligibility, timelines for implementation, and reporting requirements. 

Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted electronically via the TDEC online Grants Management System (GMS), which can be accessed at https://tdec.smartsimple.com/. Please refer to TDEC’s “About the Online Grants System” webpage to learn more about the TDEC Grants Management System, including how to register and apply.

Applications must be received by June 13 at 4:00 PM Central. For more information, visit the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant page here.

U.S. DOE recently announced the second round of the Community Energy Innovation Prize, a multi-million-dollar competition supporting grassroots innovation, entrepreneurship, capacity building, and economic development.

One of the three available prize tracks is the Vehicles Ecosystem Track. In this track, a total prize pool of $2.6 million will be awarded to up to 10 teams for supporting the deployment of clean transportation technologies in a manner that promotes access to clean transportation technologies, improves health and air quality outcomes, and lowers the burden of transportation impacts on community members.

Eligible entities include private entities (for-profits and nonprofits); nonfederal government entities such as states, counties, tribes, and municipalities; academic institutions; and individuals. Applications are due June 20.

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program provides funding to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries on roads and streets involving all roadway users. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, micromobility users, and motorists. Two phases of funding are available: one for planning/demonstration and another for implementation.

Planning and Demonstration Grants are used to develop, complete, or supplement an Action Plan and may also fund supplemental safety planning activities and safety demonstration activities in support of an Action Plan.

Implementation Grants are used to implement projects or strategies that are consistent with an existing Action Plan to address a roadway safety problem. Eligible projects and strategies can be infrastructural, behavioral, and/or operational activities. Implementation Grants may also include supplemental safety planning and safety demonstration activities to inform an existing Action Plan, as well as project-level planning, design, and development activities.

Eligible applicants include metropolitan planning organizations and political subdivisions of a state or territory (e.g., counties, cities, towns, special districts, certain transit agencies, and similar units of local government).

Applications are due June 26.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced $1.5 billion in funding available for the Low or No Emission and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. FTA is publishing a joint notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for these two programs as they have overlapping eligibility and must be implemented on the same timeline.

For the Low-No Program, eligible activities include capital projects to purchase or lease zero-emission or low-emission transit buses; and acquire, construct, rehabilitate, and lease required supporting facilities such as recharging, refueling, and maintenance facilities. Eligible recipients and subrecipients are direct or designated recipients of FTA grants, states (including territories and Washington, D.C.), local government entities, and federally recognized Indian tribes.

Eligible activities for the Bus Program include capital projects to purchase, lease, or rehabilitate buses and related equipment; and acquire, construct, lease, or rehabilitate bus-related facilities. Eligible recipients are direct or designated recipients of FTA grants, states (including territories and Washington, D.C.), local government entities, and federally recognized Indian tribes. Except for Indian tribes, eligible recipients must allocate funds to or operate fixed-route bus service.

Applications are due July 14.

East Tennessee Clean Fuels and Drive Electric TN launched the Charging Smart Program in 2024 to accelerate EV adoption across Tennessee. This program is designed by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) to support communities across Tennessee in the deployment of EV infrastructure. Funded by U.S. DOE, the program provides personalized, no-cost technical assistance and a nationally recognized designation system to help local governments align their policies with national best practices for EV adoption. Interested local governments in Tennessee can learn more and express their interest in participating by filling out the interest form available here.

EV drivers in rural areas may face challenges finding EV charging stations to charge their vehicles when needed. The Electric Vehicle Emergency Charging Assistance Program, as part of Tennessee Technological University’s Rural Reimagined EV community project, aims to support EV drivers who need a quick charge due to unexpected battery depletion. This program is designed to ensure that EV owners can travel with confidence, knowing that help is available if they run out of charge. The pilot phase of this program will provide emergency charging assistance in the Upper Cumberland region in Tennessee. Learn more about the Program’s features and benefits here.  

Stay informed with the Energy Security Quarterly Newsletter from the TDEC OEP. Each edition brings you news and insights on energy security, from national energy resource forecasts, Tennessee planning, preparedness, and response stories to cybersecurity news. Contact OEP Senior Energy Programs Administrator Ben Bolton via e-mail at Ben.Bolton@tn.gov to sign up. 

Visit the TDEC Office of Energy Programs Website at http://www.tn.gov/environment/energy.

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

April 2025

March 2025

February 2025

For more information or to submit an idea for a future Monthly Transportation Edition, contact:

Audrey Jackson, Communications Officer
TDEC Office of Energy Programs
615-917-6683 or audrey.jackson@tn.gov

OR

Alexa Voytek, Deputy Director, OEP Programs
U.S. DOE State Energy Program / Innovation & Transportation / Communications
TDEC Office of Energy Programs
 615-613-1096 or alexa.voytek@tn.gov

OR

Mark Finlay, Senior Energy Analyst, TDEC Office of Energy Programs
615-772-6011 or mark.finlay@tn.gov

Acknowledgement: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the State Energy Program Award Number DE-EE0009487

Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government.  Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.