Jukka Kukkonen

Jukka Kukkonen serves as an Instructor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering, bringing extensive industry expertise in transportation electrification. His professional background bridges automotive engineering practice with academic instruction, focusing on real-world EV market applications and energy transition strategies.

His educational foundation includes a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Engineering and Production Economics from Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland. This technical background underpins his specialized knowledge in automotive systems and production economics.

Mr. Kukkonen's research interests center on electric vehicle market dynamics and energy industry transformation, with particular emphasis on practical implementation challenges. His work explores business concept innovation for charging infrastructure, smart grid integration, and organizational development strategies for electrification adoption. He examines real-life user perspectives through initiatives like the MN PEV Owners' Circle, which he founded in 2012 and has grown into one of the nation's largest regional plug-in vehicle owner groups.

His professional activities include developing programs for utility companies, condominium/apartment building charging solutions, workplace charging systems, and DC fast charging networks. He maintains active business partnerships with Fresh Energy, MNCharging.org, and the Midwest EVOLVE project, while operating industry resources through Shift2Electric, mudcharging.com, and WorkplaceCharging.com. At St. Thomas, he teaches ETLS 739: EV Market and Technologies, though not scheduled for Fall 2025 or Jterm 2026 sessions.