Fueling What's Next: United Dairy Farmers, Inc. Brings Level 3 EV Fast Charging Stations to Six Ohio Locations
The first Level 3 chargers in UDF's history will bring faster charging, expanded customer amenities and integrated U-Drive Plus loyalty benefits to UDF stores
SEATTLE, Washington and CINCINNATI, Ohio – October 6, 2026 – United Dairy Farmers, Inc. (UDF), a family-owned ice cream maker, regional convenience store and ice cream parlor chain, is bringing the fuel of the future to its stores, installing Electric Era Level 3 DC fast chargers at six locations across Greater Cincinnati and Columbus. The initiative represents the first deployment of Level 3 EV charging in UDF’s history and reflects the family-owned company’s strategy of evolving its stores to meet the changing needs of the communities and guests it serves.
The six locations were selected through Ohio’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, with UDF working alongside Electric Era, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and utility partners. UDF applied for six locations and was awarded all six, strategically selecting stores based on charging demand, proximity to major highways, accessibility and the overall customer experience each location can provide.
Unlike a traditional fueling stop designed for a few minutes, EV charging creates a need for expanded amenities for guests who will spend, on average, 20 to 30 minutes at a UDF location. UDF intentionally selected some of its newest stores to better meet those needs, with expanded food and beverage options, comfortable indoor and outdoor seating areas, and clear sightlines to the charging area.
“We’ve always believed UDF should evolve alongside our guests, and this is another step in doing that,” said Jim Dwenger, UDF’s Head of Retail. “For more than 85 years, we’ve focused on making everyday life more convenient for the communities we serve. Adding fast EV charging allows us to provide the fuel of the future while giving guests a welcoming place to recharge themselves—whether that’s with a scoop of their favorite ice cream, a meal, a snack, or a drink from our wide selection of offerings. It’s another way we’re meeting guests where they are and helping them fuel up for wherever they’re headed.”
The Electric Era chargers utilize battery-backed charging technology and are designed to provide reliable, high-speed charging while helping manage the demands placed on the electric grid. Electric Era technology combines grid power with on-site battery storage and proprietary software to optimize power delivery, reducing peak demand and maintaining charging performance even when grid capacity is constrained. Electric Era guarantees industry leading 98%+ per-port uptime and 85%+ first plug-in success reliability.
“This partnership is the perfect embodiment of what we’re trying to achieve at Electric Era,” said Quincy Lee, Founder and CEO of Electric Era. “The EV charging experience at stores like UDF is not only reliable and fast, but guests also have the added benefit of enjoying all the wonderful amenities UDF has to offer.”
The technology also gives UDF the ability to create a seamless, branded experience for EV drivers. Charging stations will integrate with UDF’s award-winning U-Drive Plus loyalty program, giving members access to credits off charging just as they receive cents off gasoline. As with UDF’s existing loyalty members, guests will be able to earn additional charging credits with qualifying purchases inside UDF stores.
The charger loyalty integration will also provide opportunities for UDF to offer personalized loyalty rewards, including food and beverage promotions and other offers through both the U-Drive Plus app and the charging stations themselves, creating a direct connection between the charging experience and the UDF store.
The move also builds on UDF’s broader strategy to ensure stores are more than transactional stops, transforming its next-gen stores into destinations where guests can comfortably spend time. With comfortable indoor and outdoor seating at its newest locations, expanded food and beverage offerings and the added utility of public Wi-Fi, UDF sees EV charging as another opportunity to develop its stores into a community-oriented “third place”—a convenient place to stop, recharge your car and yourself, and spend time.
“We’re thinking beyond the charger itself and about how we can make those 20 to 30 minute charge times convenient, valuable and enjoyable for our guests,” said Rob Lindner, UDF's Corporate Head of Initiatives. “Whether they’re commuting, running errands or traveling through the region, we want UDF to be a place that works well for them.”
The six locations also provide UDF with an opportunity to learn. The company will closely monitor charging demand, customer behavior, store visits and engagement with UDF amenities and loyalty offers to determine how EV charging can best serve guests and what future expansion may look like.
The UDF EV charging initiative is part of the broader national effort to expand convenient and reliable EV charging infrastructure. The federal NEVI program provides funding to states to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure, with Ohio among the first states to bring NEVI-funded charging stations online.
UDF Level 3 DC fast charger locations include:
- Columbus: 5171 Riggins Rd, Hilliard, OH
- Cincinnati: 890 Columbus Ave, Lebanon, OH
- Cincinnati: 5261 Kings Mills Rd, Mason, OH
- Cincinnati: 6643 OH-48, Maineville, OH
- Cincinnati: 11610 Lebanon Rd, Cincinnati, OH
- Cincinnati: 5275 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, OH
UDF anticipates chargers will begin coming online in early 2027. Installation and launch timing for each location will be announced as chargers become operational.
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ABOUT UNITED DAIRY FARMERS, INC. Founded in 1940, United Dairy Farmers (UDF) is a family-owned regional ice cream parlor and convenience store chain with more than 170 locations across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For more than 85 years, UDF has proudly served tri-state families as a trusted destination for dairy products, fuel, coffee, grab-and-go retail and after-dinner malts. Known for its award-winning hand-dipped ice cream and signature malts and shakes, UDF is a beloved Cincinnati heritage brand. Over the decades, UDF has grown its business to include wholesale and food manufacturing through its signature Homemade Brand™, UDF Brand® and Main Avenue Creamery® ice creams and bakery products, as well as real estate, logistics, third-party cold storage, and petroleum transportation. Today, UDF employs more than 3,200 full- and part-time associates across its retail, manufacturing, distribution and corporate operations. Building on its handcrafted culinary heritage, UDF now also offers freshly-prepared hot food, including pizza and breakfast sandwiches made with scratch-made focaccia, biscuits, and croissants from the UDF Bakery. Guests can earn and redeem rewards through UDF’s U-Drive Plus loyalty program, recognized by USA Today as one of America’s Best Loyalty Programs. For more information, visit www.udfinc.com or follow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT ELECTRIC ERA Electric Era delivers intelligent infrastructure solutions that unlock the biggest bottleneck to a dynamic, electrified, 21st century economy. Founded in 2020, the company provides vertically integrated systems combining advanced battery storage, intelligent software control, and rapid deployment expertise—with more than 30 active EV fast charging deployments to date. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. For more information, visit www.electricera.tech or follow on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.
The first Level 3 chargers in UDF's history will bring faster charging, expanded customer amenities and integrated U-Drive Plus loyalty benefits to UDF stores
SEATTLE, Washington and CINCINNATI, Ohio – October 6, 2026 – United Dairy Farmers, Inc. (UDF), a family-owned ice cream maker, regional convenience store and ice cream parlor chain, is bringing the fuel of the future to its stores, installing Electric Era Level 3 DC fast chargers at six locations across Greater Cincinnati and Columbus. The initiative represents the first deployment of Level 3 EV charging in UDF’s history and reflects the family-owned company’s strategy of evolving its stores to meet the changing needs of the communities and guests it serves.
The six locations were selected through Ohio’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, with UDF working alongside Electric Era, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and utility partners. UDF applied for six locations and was awarded all six, strategically selecting stores based on charging demand, proximity to major highways, accessibility and the overall customer experience each location can provide.
Unlike a traditional fueling stop designed for a few minutes, EV charging creates a need for expanded amenities for guests who will spend, on average, 20 to 30 minutes at a UDF location. UDF intentionally selected some of its newest stores to better meet those needs, with expanded food and beverage options, comfortable indoor and outdoor seating areas, and clear sightlines to the charging area.
“We’ve always believed UDF should evolve alongside our guests, and this is another step in doing that,” said Jim Dwenger, UDF’s Head of Retail. “For more than 85 years, we’ve focused on making everyday life more convenient for the communities we serve. Adding fast EV charging allows us to provide the fuel of the future while giving guests a welcoming place to recharge themselves—whether that’s with a scoop of their favorite ice cream, a meal, a snack, or a drink from our wide selection of offerings. It’s another way we’re meeting guests where they are and helping them fuel up for wherever they’re headed.”
The Electric Era chargers utilize battery-backed charging technology and are designed to provide reliable, high-speed charging while helping manage the demands placed on the electric grid. Electric Era technology combines grid power with on-site battery storage and proprietary software to optimize power delivery, reducing peak demand and maintaining charging performance even when grid capacity is constrained. Electric Era guarantees industry leading 98%+ per-port uptime and 85%+ first plug-in success reliability.
“This partnership is the perfect embodiment of what we’re trying to achieve at Electric Era,” said Quincy Lee, Founder and CEO of Electric Era. “The EV charging experience at stores like UDF is not only reliable and fast, but guests also have the added benefit of enjoying all the wonderful amenities UDF has to offer.”
The technology also gives UDF the ability to create a seamless, branded experience for EV drivers. Charging stations will integrate with UDF’s award-winning U-Drive Plus loyalty program, giving members access to credits off charging just as they receive cents off gasoline. As with UDF’s existing loyalty members, guests will be able to earn additional charging credits with qualifying purchases inside UDF stores.
The charger loyalty integration will also provide opportunities for UDF to offer personalized loyalty rewards, including food and beverage promotions and other offers through both the U-Drive Plus app and the charging stations themselves, creating a direct connection between the charging experience and the UDF store.
The move also builds on UDF’s broader strategy to ensure stores are more than transactional stops, transforming its next-gen stores into destinations where guests can comfortably spend time. With comfortable indoor and outdoor seating at its newest locations, expanded food and beverage offerings and the added utility of public Wi-Fi, UDF sees EV charging as another opportunity to develop its stores into a community-oriented “third place”—a convenient place to stop, recharge your car and yourself, and spend time.
“We’re thinking beyond the charger itself and about how we can make those 20 to 30 minute charge times convenient, valuable and enjoyable for our guests,” said Rob Lindner, UDF's Corporate Head of Initiatives. “Whether they’re commuting, running errands or traveling through the region, we want UDF to be a place that works well for them.”
The six locations also provide UDF with an opportunity to learn. The company will closely monitor charging demand, customer behavior, store visits and engagement with UDF amenities and loyalty offers to determine how EV charging can best serve guests and what future expansion may look like.
The UDF EV charging initiative is part of the broader national effort to expand convenient and reliable EV charging infrastructure. The federal NEVI program provides funding to states to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure, with Ohio among the first states to bring NEVI-funded charging stations online.
UDF Level 3 DC fast charger locations include:
- Columbus: 5171 Riggins Rd, Hilliard, OH
- Cincinnati: 890 Columbus Ave, Lebanon, OH
- Cincinnati: 5261 Kings Mills Rd, Mason, OH
- Cincinnati: 6643 OH-48, Maineville, OH
- Cincinnati: 11610 Lebanon Rd, Cincinnati, OH
- Cincinnati: 5275 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, OH
UDF anticipates chargers will begin coming online in early 2027. Installation and launch timing for each location will be announced as chargers become operational.
###
ABOUT UNITED DAIRY FARMERS, INC. Founded in 1940, United Dairy Farmers (UDF) is a family-owned regional ice cream parlor and convenience store chain with more than 170 locations across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For more than 85 years, UDF has proudly served tri-state families as a trusted destination for dairy products, fuel, coffee, grab-and-go retail and after-dinner malts. Known for its award-winning hand-dipped ice cream and signature malts and shakes, UDF is a beloved Cincinnati heritage brand. Over the decades, UDF has grown its business to include wholesale and food manufacturing through its signature Homemade Brand™, UDF Brand® and Main Avenue Creamery® ice creams and bakery products, as well as real estate, logistics, third-party cold storage, and petroleum transportation. Today, UDF employs more than 3,200 full- and part-time associates across its retail, manufacturing, distribution and corporate operations. Building on its handcrafted culinary heritage, UDF now also offers freshly-prepared hot food, including pizza and breakfast sandwiches made with scratch-made focaccia, biscuits, and croissants from the UDF Bakery. Guests can earn and redeem rewards through UDF’s U-Drive Plus loyalty program, recognized by USA Today as one of America’s Best Loyalty Programs. For more information, visit www.udfinc.com or follow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT ELECTRIC ERA Electric Era delivers intelligent infrastructure solutions that unlock the biggest bottleneck to a dynamic, electrified, 21st century economy. Founded in 2020, the company provides vertically integrated systems combining advanced battery storage, intelligent software control, and rapid deployment expertise—with more than 30 active EV fast charging deployments to date. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. For more information, visit www.electricera.tech or follow on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.
