Driving an electric car will be easier thanks to new installations in campus parking lots.
Electric car chargers are now available in the Northwest Garage and Central Garage. Others will be installed near Madsen Clinics and the Utah Science Technology and Research building. The chargers can be used by all permit-holders and currently cost $5 a month.
Alma Allred, director of commuter services, said although there are not a lot of these vehicles on campus,”there are enough to accommodate the numbers we have right now.”
Each unit costs about $5,000 to install. The U experimented with chargers a couple years ago, but at the time, each cost roughly $6,000 to $7,000, Allred said.
Though charger prices have decreased, it will cost the U about $1 per use. Commuter Services will treat the initial installation as an experiment to see how often they are utilized.
Electric vehicles are beneficial for air quality and are overall more environmentally friendly than their gas-powered counterparts. According to the U’s Air Quality Task Force Report, released this past summer, a five percent shift to clean air vehicles will reduce commuting emissions by five percent.
Ayrel Clark-Proffitt, the Sustainability Office campus engagement coordinator, said the office is “excited about growth in electric car purchases and that the U is installing infrastructure to support clean vehicle purchases.”
Commuter services received an increasing number of requests for electric car chargers. Myron Willson, deputy chief of the Sustainability Office, said he believes the number of clean-air vehicles on campus will continue to increase.
“They are becoming more affordable, and the cost to operate is less than that of a gasoline-powered car,” Myron said.
Environmental concern will also contribute to a rise in electric vehicles, Willson said.
“These cars have zero tailpipe emissions and can significantly reduce emissions produced by gasoline-powered vehicles,” Wilson said. “They can significantly reduce harmful emissions to our airshed and the environment.”
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