TDEC recently released its second solicitation for Light Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Supply Equipment projects under the Fast Charge TN Network grant program. This solicitation is funded through the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust (EMT), from settlements resolving allegations that Volkswagen violated clean air standards in sales of vehicles in model years 2009-2016. The purpose of the trust is to execute environmental mitigation projects that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. Under the current solicitation, $2.8 million in EMT funding is available for eligible projects.

This solicitation will support the continued development of the Fast Charge TN Network, building out direct current (DC) fast charging infrastructure at least every 50 miles along prioritized corridors. Applicants must commit to owning, operating, and maintaining grant-funded EV fast-charging infrastructure for at least five years following equipment procurement, delivery, installation, and commissioning. The charging infrastructure must be publicly accessible 24/7, 365 days of the year, and located within identified infrastructure gap areas.

TDEC hosted a mandatory application workshop webinar on July 14. The workshop was recorded and can be accessed on the Fast Charge TN Network webpage, tn.gov/EVfastcharge. Applicants must have attended the virtual application workshop or viewed 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 available at tdec.smartsimple.com. Applications must be received by September 12 at 4 PM Central.

TDEC OEP Deputy Director and Grants Analyst at the DET Momentum Summit.

Drive Electric TN (DET) held its third annual Momentum Summit at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on June 24. The sessions addressed a variety of topics, including electric vehicle (EV) research in higher education, charging infrastructure, and the future of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Attendees had the chance to explore and drive various EV models, engaging with the manufacturers and research teams that are leading advancements in the EV industry. TDEC OEP Deputy Director of Programs, Innovation, and Transportation, Alexa Voytek, delivered the opening remarks and participated in a panel on the current and future medium- and heavy-duty vehicle landscape in Tennessee. The Office of Energy Programs’ Senior Energy Analyst, Mark Finlay, participated on a panel to discuss Tennessee’s charging infrastructure and initiatives related to the VW Fast Charge TN Network.

For further inquiries or DET membership, please contact Alex Strong at alex@driveelectrictn.org.

Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between General Motors (GM) and LG Energy Solution, recently announced it will upgrade its Spring Hill battery cell manufacturing facility to scale production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells, building on a $2.3 billion investment announced in 2021. Conversion of battery cell lines at Spring Hill to produce LFP cells will begin later this year, with commercial production expected by late 2027. This aligns with a recent announcement by GM that it will be investing in multiple domestic manufacturing plants, including the Spring Hill location.

Image courtesy of EVBots.

EVBots, the creator of on-demand autonomous charging robots that service fleet vehicles, recently announced plans to relocate from Philadelphia, PA, to Chattanooga. EVBots receive a charge request through an app and then navigate to the vehicle in the parking lot, providing efficient and hassle-free charging. The bots can also perform detailed external inspections to ensure road readiness and safety, check for damage, and monitor tire pressure. The decision to move came after EVBots participated in the Sustainable Mobility Accelerator in Chattanooga.

Ford recently released its 2025 Integrated Sustainability and Financial Report, which notes Tennessee’s role in Ford’s progress toward sustainability. One of the key components of the company’s future is BlueOval City in West Tennessee, where Ford is constructing its most advanced and sustainable manufacturing hub yet. The Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, opening in 2027, will be the first Ford assembly plant to utilize recovered and geothermal energy for carbon-free heat.

The Southeast Energy Policy Forum will take place August 5-6 in Knoxville. The Forum is hosted by the Center for Energy, Transportation, and Environmental Policy, housed at the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It convenes industry leaders, nonprofits, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TVA, and government officials for accessible policy analysis, insights on the policy process, and policy-centered technical discussions about emerging technologies.

The 2025 Forum will foster discussions around four key questions:

The Clean Cities Network will host the webinar Clean Transportation for Your Fleet on August 6 at 10:00 AM Central. The webinar will introduce fleet managers and clean transportation stakeholders across the Southeastern U.S. to the support available through the U.S. DOE’s Clean Cities and Communities Partnership.

Participants will learn how coalitions like yours can assist fleets with:

The webinar will also highlight the range of clean fuels and technologies we support, including electric, propane, natural gas, hydrogen, and biofuels.

Charge at Home, a project that provides tools and resources to advance EV adoption at multifamily housing properties, is hosting virtual education and technical-assistance focused sessions designed to support multifamily housing stakeholders interested in EV charging. On July 24 at 12 PM Central, the project team will host a webinar, Condominium EV Charging Retrofit: A Case Study.

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. Sessions will focus on multiple topics, including vehicles, charging, community impact, and networking and connection opportunities.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development will host the 2025 Governor’s Conference (GovCon) on 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.

The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) will host the annual Opportunities in Energy event on November 19 in downtown Knoxville. The event will bring together TNEAC members and stakeholders to discuss all new and upcoming “opportunities” in the advanced energy sector, including trends, businesses, technologies, and other exciting developments.

The 19th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo will be held in Nashville from March 31 to April 2, 2026. The event unites industry professionals from all sectors of the world’s interconnected biomass utilization industries: biobased power, thermal energy, fuels, and chemicals.

Organized by BBI International and produced by Biomass Magazine, this event brings current and future producers of bioenergy and biobased products together with waste generators, energy crop growers, municipal leaders, utility executives, technology providers, equipment manufacturers, project developers, investors, and policy makers. 

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) recently announced the launch of the Innovation & Research for Industry Success (IRIS) Grant Program, which aims to enhance and facilitate partnerships between private industry and the state’s leading research institutions. The grant program will encourage companies to pilot innovative technologies and pursue new discoveries within the state, which, in turn, will facilitate collaborations that highlight the strength of Tennessee’s research capabilities and foster long-term corporate investment in the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Applications for the inaugural round of IRIS funding are open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The Chevron Truck Demo Program provides no-cost, short-term demos of certain heavy-duty compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks to qualified customers interested in exploring CNG. The demo can help customers experience how similar natural gas vehicles are to diesel vehicles in terms of drivability, power, and range, with a demo period of up to 18 days. The cost of the CNG fuel is also included with the truck demo. Learn more about the program here and contact Jared Rifenbary on how to get involved at jared.rifenbary@chevron.com.  

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.

Atlas Public Policy recently released the report Second-life Electric Vehicle Batteries in Mobile Charging Systems, developed as part of Tennessee Tech University’s “Second-life Battery in Mobile EV Charging Application for Rural Transportation (SMART) project, which examines how repurposed EV batteries can lower costs, ease supply-chain pressure, and cut carbon while allowing for EV chargers in remote, disaster-stricken, or high-demand locations. Drawing on market scans and use-case analysis, the report notes that second-life batteries (SLBs) can cost as little as 25 percent of an equivalent new pack, unlocking mobile systems that are cheaper to build and deploy. With up to 40 GWh of retired EV batteries expected to be available in the United States by 2030, SLBs represent a sizeable resource for fleets, utilities, and emergency managers seeking scalable charging options.

The MyTN app includes available services and resources for the State of Tennessee. The app now includes personal preparedness resources from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, including emergency preparedness, response, and recovery information for Tennesseans. The app displays real-time weather and emergency alert messages, as well as maps of open Red Cross Shelters, Smartway maps of real-time traffic conditions from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and local emergency management contact information. MyTN has resources to help individuals build emergency kits, create emergency plans for themselves and their families, and learn about the emergency hazards Tennesseans face.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

June 2025

May 2025

April 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.