Voices Behind the Charge: Leading EV infrastructure growth across the Southeast US

Introducing Voices Behind the Charge: Stories Powering North America’s Electrification Journey

North America’s transition to electric mobility is gaining momentum — built by the people, organizations, and communities working every day to make EV charging accessible and reliable. Voices Behind the Charge is our new series highlighting the leaders shaping electric vehicle infrastructure across the U.S. and Canada.

Our first edition focuses on the Southeast, where PowerUp America is rapidly expanding access to DC fast charging along critical transportation corridors and regional networks. Jessie Hensley, Co-Founder and President of PowerUp America, leads the team driving the company’s expansion of EV infrastructure in the Southeast. Founded just over two years ago to support Tennessee’s NEVI program, PowerUp focuses on creating charging solutions that are reliable, accessible, and designed for real drivers. PowerUp’s approach emphasizes site design that serves local communities and long-distance travelers, ensuring each location is future-ready and community-focused. Partnerships with technology providers are central to delivering that reliability and quality.

Choosing Kempower to support the Southeast’s next charging sites

To meet high standards for performance, accessibility, and compliance with NEVI and Build America Buy America (BABA) requirements, PowerUp carefully evaluated technology providers. Kempower stood out as the partner that could deliver reliability, design, and scalability at the level PowerUp needed.

“The customer service, everything that we have right now is a combination of them listening to what we need and providing that. The reliability was a big key for our choice,” says Jessie.

Connector flexibility and usability were also critical. Many Southeast charging locations will serve early adopters, first-time EV drivers, and long-distance travelers. Having both NACS and CCS available on every charger ensures a smooth experience for all drivers. Jessie adds:

“It’s for EV drivers, by EV drivers. They were the only ones that had NACS/CCS cables per charger. Even the system for the charging arm itself is a unique design that supports a lot of people that normally wouldn’t have that ability.”

With PowerUp headquartered in Tennessee and Kempower’s North American operations and manufacturing in North Carolina, the partnership benefits from geographic proximity. Fast communication, local support, and hands-on coordination allow both teams to move efficiently in a region where dependable DC fast charging is increasingly essential. This operational alignment ensures projects can progress smoothly, from planning and engineering to site builds and delivery schedules.

PowerUp America’s work in the Southeast is helping to lay the foundation for a robust and future-ready EV charging network. Each site is designed with long-term reliability, accessibility, and community impact in mind. By focusing on NEVI-funded sites and adhering to BABA standards, PowerUp and Kempower ensure every installation meets high-quality domestic manufacturing and operational requirements. Through careful site planning, multi-standard connector support, and scalable deployment, the partnership is creating a network capable of supporting the next phase of EV adoption, connecting drivers across Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and beyond.

Stay tuned! Voices Behind the Charge will continue to highlight leaders and partnerships across North America driving the growth of DC fast charging and EV infrastructure. Each story will provide insight into how collaboration, innovation, and local expertise are shaping the future of electric mobility.