Major Electric Vehicle Charging Hub Launched in Lebanon, TN

Middle Tennessee Electric and Seven States Power Corporation Propel EV Adoption with New Fast Charging Hub in Lebanon, TN using ZEF Energy Charging solutions.

LEBANON, TENN., US, March 25, 2024 -ZEF Energy, a vertically-integrated electric vehicle solutions provider, celebrates partnership with Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE), Seven States Power Corporation, and Tritium in deploying a major public Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) site for public use, with funding support from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

This Fast Charge TN installation is part of the regional Fast Charge Network that will cover major travel corridors across TVA’s seven-state service area and will complement the broader efforts of the National Electric Highway Coalition, which seeks to enable long-distance EV travel by placing fast chargers along interstates and major highways throughout the United States.

“As the demand for electric vehicles grows, the necessity for robust charging infrastructure becomes increasingly evident. Collaborating with MTE, Seven States, and TVA to expand local fast charging access along interstates and major highways in non-urban areas is pivotal for driving widespread EV adoption,” says ZEF Energy’s CEO, Matthew Blackler.

The new 600kW DC FC site went live in Lebanon, TN on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. MTE and Seven States Power Corporation managed the development of the site, which includes the installation of four (4) charging stations able to deliver 150kW to a single EV. The site boasts the ZEFNETPower-T Series, which integrates ZEF’s charging network software,ZEFNET™, with Tritium PKM150 DC fast chargers. This site will provide convenient charging for the local community and travelers along the I-40 and I-840 corridors, supporting charging infrastructure needs across the country, including areas beyond core urban areas. The ZEFNET™ network has over 5,500 plugs across the U.S. with extensive collaboration in the utility space.

“Our members are increasingly looking to us to be leaders in the electric vehicle space, which means finding solutions to the challenges they encounter as EV drivers. We want to respond to that calling, but we can’t do that without good partners like ZEF and others. We’re thankful for the partnerships that made this project possible and look forward to future collaborations,” says Brandon Wagoner, MTE’s Manager of Strategy Execution & Analytics.

“Seven States is thrilled to work in partnership with Middle Tennessee Electric to expand the grid of the future across the Valley,” said Betsey Kirk McCall, President & CEO of Seven States Power Corporation. “This Fast Charge Network deployment plays an important role in connecting the Lebanon community to the broader efforts of the National Electric Highway Coalition to place fast chargers along interstates and major highways throughout the United States.”

The partnership between ZEF Energy, Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE), Seven States Power Corporation, and long-time ZEF Energy partner Tritium has yielded the successful opening of this first PKM150 DC fast charging hub in Tennessee, located just a few miles from Tritium’s global assembly center where the charging equipment was manufactured. “Tritium provided ground floor support as this site prepared to launch and we could not be more thrilled to have our first PKM150 DC site right here in our own backyard.” said Tritium President Americas, Mike Calise.

Supported by funding from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), this innovative initiative not only addresses the evolving needs of EV drivers, but also signifies a significant step towards enhancing connectivity and sustainability across the region. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and finding the right collaborative partners, the project is delivering on Federal and TVA outcomes aimed at facilitating seamless EV travel, economic growth, and carbon emission reductions.

About ZEF Energy: ZEF Energy is a provider of software, hardware and support services for Electric Vehicle chargers. ZEF is focused on high-value offerings that combine durability, flexibility, and automation to deliver best in class owner, operator and driver experience. ZEF designs and vets equipment, provides seamless support and service packages, and works with partners to deliver on-the-ground solutions that are future-proofed for easy and long term operation. ZEF proudly manufactures in the US and offers a full-suite of solutions for all driver and owner vehicle charging applications.

About Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE): Founded in 1936, MTE is the largest electric cooperative in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region and the second largest in the United States, serving more than 750,000 Tennesseans via 330,000+ accounts covering nearly 2,200 square miles in 11 Middle Tennessee counties, primarily Rutherford, Cannon, Williamson, and Wilson. Municipalities served include Murfreesboro, Franklin, Brentwood, Smyrna, La Vergne, Lebanon, and Mt. Juliet. MTE employs around 530 people in six local offices and its Murfreesboro headquarters. MTE’s subsidiary, United Communications, is a nationally recognized broadband company with a fiber network spanning more than 3,700 route miles providing high-speed internet to portions of Williamson, Maury, Rutherford, Marshall, Bedford, Franklin, Wilson, and Davidson counties.

About Seven States Power Corporation: Seven States Power is an energy solutions cooperative that is owned and operated by the 153 local power companies across seven states of the Tennessee Valley. Our member-owners distribute TVA-generated electricity and provide a variety of essential services that build the economy and enhance life in their communities. Our turnkey products and services include EV (electric vehicle) chargers, solar arrays, backup generation, combined heat and power, battery storage, fiber deployment, cybersecurity, economic analysis, and distributed energy resource management systems.

About Tritium: Founded in 2001, Tritium (NASDAQ: DCFC) designs and manufactures proprietary hardware and software to create advanced and reliable DC fast chargers for electric vehicles. Tritium’s compact and robust chargers are designed to look great on Main Street and thrive in harsh conditions, through technology engineered to be easy to install, own, and use. Tritium is focused on continuous innovation in support of our customers around the world.

Megan Pihlaja
ZEF Energy
+1 612-688-1419