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Blueprint unveiled for 425-mile Tennessee EV network

ECOtality said Tennessee would be the blueprint for EV charging infrastructure deployments in other states

The state of Tennessee will see nearly 425 miles of its road network supported by electric vehicle charging infrastructure, under plans unveiled today.

California-based company ECOtality, Inc., said today it will install 2,500 residential and commercial charging stations in the state, including fast-charging facilities.

The deployment is part of The EV Project, the federally-funded program being called the world’s largest roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure.

ECOtality is working in Tennessee with the electricity provider Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), research agency Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Electric Power Research Institute, as well as local stakeholders.

Revealing its plans for the state, ECOtality said it would focus on encouraging electric vehicle adoption in three major cities – Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga – as well as three transportation corridors between them.

The company said it took into account locations of major regional employers, commercial centers and area attractions to determine its plans.

The documents will now serve as the basis for a consultation process with Tennessee stakeholders, before the exact locations for new charging stations are selected.

The $230 million EV Project is backed by a $114.8 million grant from the US Department of Energy, tasked to deploy around 15,000 charging stations in 16 major cities in six states and Washington DC (see this BrighterEnergy.org story).

Blueprint

Those behind the project said lessons learned in Tennessee would be applied to deployment of charging stations in other parts of the country.

Jonathan Read, CEO of San Francisco firm ECOtality, said Tennessee would be the first state to take the electric vehicle beyond the 100-mile range that is rapidly becoming the standard for all-electric mass-production vehicles like the forthcoming Nissan LEAF and Ford Focus Electric expected next year.

He said: “With these plans completed, the state of Tennessee will emerge as a leader in EV adoption, and serve as a critical blueprint for how best to connect major population areas with EV infrastructure.

We are taking a smart and strategic approach to the deployment of EV infrastructure” - Jonathan Read, ECOtality, Inc.

“We are thankful for the input TVA and our partners in each city have provided throughout the planning process. We are taking a smart and strategic approach to the deployment of EV infrastructure so as to best create a connected, highly functional EV charging network,” added Mr Read.

Kim Greene, president of Strategy and External Relations at TVA, said there was a “groundswell of enthusiasm” already growing in the TVA area and the entire state as a result of The EV Project.

Ms Greene said: “The lessons we learn through the EV Project will help TVA and local power companies better meet the growing needs of electricity as a transportation fuel here in the Tennessee Valley and share those lessons with communities throughout the nation.”