I recently made the trip out to Manchester, Kentucky—a small town in the heart of rural Eastern Kentucky—to check out a massive milestone for regional EV infrastructure: the grand opening of PowerUp America's very first charging site. If you look up Manchester on a map, it sits squarely in what used to be a major charging desert. Seeing a state-of-the-art site pop up here is a huge step forward for cross-country road trips and local EV adoption alike.
News Summary: PowerUp America Opens Its First NEVI Station
PowerUp America, founded by East Tennessee EV drivers Josh and Jesse, officially unveiled its flagship National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funded station in Manchester, KY. Supported by financial and operational backing from the Kimbro family—a third-generation fuel and convenience store operator—the company has quickly become the largest NEVI awardee in the Southeastern United States.
Here are the core facts and hardware specs of the new Manchester location:
- Location: Manchester, Kentucky (adjacent to a Huddle House diner with pull-through access).
- Funding & Scope: First operational NEVI site for PowerUp; part of an initial rollout that includes 23 NEVI sites across Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky over the next 12 months.
- Power & Architecture: Distributed Kempower system featuring an 800 kW utility grid power cabinet supplying energy to four satellite dispensers.
- Connectors: Dual CCS1 and NACS (Tesla-style) cables on every single stall.
- Charging Capability: Exceeds the NEVI minimum mandate of 150 kW per stall, offering dynamic load balancing that can deliver up to 200 kW or more per vehicle depending on real-time battery demand.
- User Interface: Integrated tap-to-pay credit card terminal (no app required) alongside a dynamic display and QR code system for real-time mobile tracking.
- Site Amenities: Fully illuminated canopy with a custom curved design, pull-through layout for vehicles towing trailers, and nearby food options.
| Feature | Specification / Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Site Power | 800 kW Distributed Architecture (Kempower) |
| Number of Stalls | 4 Pull-Through Stalls |
| Plug Types | NACS & CCS at every stall |
| Cable Management | 16-foot (5m) flexible spring suspension system |
| Payment Methods | Contactless Credit Card Tap-and-Pay, QR Code Web UI |
| Ecosystem Partners | Field Advantage (Maintenance), Lynkwell (Backend management software) |
Industry Context: Fixing the Southeastern Charging Desert
While areas like California have dense charging networks, the rural Southeast has historically lagged behind. This site demonstrates how federal NEVI funding is finally hitting the pavement in areas where legacy charging networks hesitated to build.
Beyond federal grants, this deployment highlights several critical shifts in the broader EV infrastructure landscape:
- Legacy Oil & Gas Experience Moving to Kilowatts: The Kimbro family brings over 70 years of convenience store and liquid fuel operations to PowerUp America. Their involvement means applying time-tested retail fueling standards—such as poured concrete pads over asphalt, high-visibility street signage, well-lit overhead canopies, and wide turn radiuses—to EV charging hubs.
- Dynamic Power Allocation: Rather than capping stations at static power limits, Kempower's centralized cabinet dynamic routing ensures maximum efficiency. If a Ford F-150 Lightning is charging at an 75% state of charge pulling only 70 kW, the system automatically redirects surplus power to a neighboring vehicle sitting at a low battery level.
- Removing Payment Friction: Forcing drivers to download separate smartphone apps, create accounts, and load pre-paid balances creates unnecessary hurdles. PowerUp's approach uses direct contactless card payments and web browser tracking via QR codes, establishing a clean baseline for public charging user experience.
- Trailer and Fleet Friendly Design: Electric trucks like the Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, and F-150 Lightning are increasingly used for towing. Traditional head-in charging spots force drivers to unhitch trailers. True pull-through geometry solves this issue for daily drivers and commercial fleets alike.
The Electric Duo Take: Hands-On in Manchester, KY
We’ve known Josh and Jesse for a couple of years now, and watching two EV drivers from East Tennessee turn a bold idea into an active, high-power charging hub is fantastic to see. When smaller CPOs first stepped up to apply for NEVI funds, plenty of skeptics doubted whether they could execute. PowerUp proved they can build a site that rivals—and frankly beats—many legacy charging stops.
Building for the Driver, Not Just Compliance
What struck me immediately during our tour of the Manchester site was the intentionality in the layout. They didn't just bolt four chargers in a dark corner of an unlit parking lot. They added a custom-curved canopy for weather protection, bright LED lighting for night safety, and prominent roadside signage so drivers actually know the station is there as they drive down the highway.
The Kempower satellite dispensers are exceptionally compact, leaving plenty of space to move around the car. The overhead cable suspension system keeps the heavy 16-foot cables off the pavement while making it simple to reach charge ports on either side of a car without turning the vehicle around or stretching the cord to its limit.
Hardware, Software, and Maintenance Integration
It takes a coordinated team to keep public chargers running reliably over time. During the grand opening, we chatted with Jed from Kempower, Will from Linkwell (backend software management), and Jason from Field Advantage (third-party maintenance and commissioning). Seeing this collaboration firsthand gives me confidence in the site’s long-term operational health. Field Advantage is stationed nearby to handle preventative maintenance, filter swaps on the power cabinets, and quick field repairs so the site meets strict federal uptime mandates.
What’s Next for PowerUp America?
Manchester is just station number one. PowerUp’s immediate pipeline includes 23 additional NEVI sites rolling out over the next 12 months across Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky. On top of that, they are launching a secondary phase backed by private investment, targeting over 100 urban locations equipped with 500 kW Tesla Supercharger for Business hardware featuring built-in NACS plugs, Magic Dock CCS adapters, and native card readers.
If this first installation in Manchester is any indication, PowerUp America is laying down a practical blueprint for how rural highway charging should be designed and maintained. We look forward to road-tripping across the Southeast and checking out station number 100 down the road!
