When you’re looking for an EV charging location in Tennessee, you need to determine what type of charging you need and which types of chargers are available near you. Here are the different levels of chargers:

Level 1: Equal to a 120-volt household outlet. Best for plug-in hybrids, charging can take well over a whole day.

Level 2: Between 208 and 240 volts. Charging normally takes between 4 and 8 hours, so this type of station is ideal for home charging.

Level 3: Also referred to as DC fast charging, this plug charges at a rate of up to 20 miles per minute—ideal for long road trips.

Tesla Supercharger: Tesla’s proprietary DC fast chargers specifically for Teslas, these include more plugs per site on average.

The vast majority of public chargers across the state are Level 2 stations. There are a handful of Level 3 (DCFC stations or Tesla Superchargers) stations, but Level 1 chargers aren’t as common due to their long charging times.

There are a handful of websites that lay out all of the EV chargers in Tennessee:

ChargeHub

: Lists Level 1, Level 2, DCFC (Level 3), and Tesla Supercharger stations

PlugShare:

Shows pricing, user reviews, and parking information

Tennessee cities with the most EV charging stations

City	Total number of public charging stations	DCFC stations	Tesla stations	Free stations
Nashville Metropolitan Area	823	95	99	21
Knoxville	200	24	24	22
Chattanooga	195	47	41	32
Memphis	183	35	43	26

MORE: How to choose an eco-friendly car

How much does it cost to charge an electric car in Tennessee?

It may be cheaper to charge an EV than to fill up your gas tank—but it’s rarely free. Here’s what you can expect to pay for a charge in Tennessee.

They may take longer to charge, but Level 1 chargers come with one major perk: they’re often free. If not, they’re usually much cheaper than the other EV chargers with an average cost of $1.50 to $14 depending on your location and battery size. There’s currently only one public Level 1 charger in Tennessee, though.

You can expect to pay a bit more for other chargers. Many charging stations in Tennessee have free Level 2 charging, but you’re likely to see these stations charge around $0.20 to $0.30 per kWh—or an average cost of $8 to $40.

Of course, your price will depend on your vehicle and how much charge you need. It’s also common for Level 2 stations to charge per minute or hour, costing anywhere from $0.30 per minute to around $3.00 per hour.

Level 3 chargers, which include DC fast chargers and Tesla Superchargers, are the quickest and most efficient stations. These stations also charge by time or electricity, and the national average hits around $0.35/kWh—this comes out to $10 to $30 per charge on average. There are a few free DC fast chargers out there, though—especially in Nashville.

On top of charging costs, you may also have to pay for parking at some of these charging spots. Some locations provide the first 90 minutes for free before charging, and other stations offer monthly memberships with cheaper rates than the pay-as-you-go cost.

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How to get a hybrid or electric car tax credit

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Tennessee electric vehicle incentives

Over 90% of Tennessee is considered rural, so finding public charging stations isn’t always easy if you’re outside of a metropolitan area—but that’s quickly changing. According to PlugShare, a whopping 250 charging stations in the Nashville Metropolitan area are new stations within the past 90 days.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) are also working on the

Fast Charge TN

initiative to increase the network of fast chargers across the state, aiming to implement 50 new locations along major gaps. This will make EVs more accessible to Tennesseans, along with different rebates and incentives for drivers.

At the moment, there are only two private EV incentives in Tennessee. Customers of the

Knoxville Utility Board

can earn a $400 rebate for installing a Level 2 charger at their homes. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and their

local power company partners

may also offer customers with DC fast chargers a special commercial time-of-use rate.

As Tennessee works to add more fast-charging stations across the state, the state and local electric companies may begin to offer more incentives for EV drivers.

MORE: Tennessee electric vehicle incentives

How to save on electric car insurance in Tennessee

If you’re driving a green vehicle in the Volunteer State, you’re already saving a pretty penny on your fuel costs, but you’re also likely paying more for car insurance. Due to higher repair expenses, EVs often

cost more to insure

than gas-powered vehicles—especially the high-dollar ones.

Tesla Model 3 insurance costs

, for instance, come to an average of $3,213 per year. On the other hand, the average annual premium for Tennessee’s most popular car—the

Ford F-150

—lands somewhere around $2,180.

Your specific insurance rates also depend on where you’re driving. For example,

Memphis insurance costs

are usually the most expensive in the state with an average of $2,868 per year. Smaller towns like Rogersville, though, pay around $1,587.

With help from

Jerry

, you can find the most affordable rates no matter what you drive or where you live. As the world’s first car super app and comparison shopping whiz, Jerry searches through rates from over 55 top companies. You receive your customized quotes in 45 seconds or less!