A car sits plugged into the new free Electric Vehicle charging stations that stand at the edge of the Drescher Graduate Campus. The initiative, led by the Center for Sustainability, will culminate in the installation of 10 charging stations at Drescher.
The Center for Sustainability is responding to requests for electric charging stations by installing 10 at the Drescher Graduate Campus.
The stations are to be installed in Parking Lot S in Spring 2020. The three pre-existing charging stations located at Rho Lot and Seaver Main Lot have saved 29,783 kilograms of carbon emissions, according to an email from the Center for Sustainability.
Students, employees and faculty are allowed one free Electric Vehicle (EV) charging session for up to four hours each day. The Center for Sustainability decided to apply for a grant from the university that would fund the expansion after community members reached out to share their desire for more charging stations.
The Center for Sustainability wrote, “We are adding more charging stations as a response to the community demand. We noticed an increase in electric vehicles and want to support our community members’ needs and further incentivize a ‘greener’ commute.”
EV drivers charge their vehicles according to the order on the ChargePoint app waitlist. The additional charging stations are installed, EV drivers will experience a shorter waiting period and can charge their cars faster.
“I love that they’re trying to be sustainable and move toward the right direction. With the whole parking issue, I think there is a broader [problem] though,” EV owner and senior Ashley Choo said. “Personally, I would say they need to work on [the lack of] parking first and then EV spots after they have solidified that. Parking has been a really big issue for a lot of students. I feel like they need to tackle that issue first before even thinking about sustainability, but it is good that they have that in mind.”
Students who do not own electric cars are also excited to see the additional charging stations being added to campus.
“I don’t have an electric car so when I saw [that more EV spots are being added], I didn’t think much of it, and then I thought of the greater impact that it’s having and how it’s becoming more accessible,” President of the Green Team Scottie Sandlin said. “I think it goes hand in hand with last semester’s partnership with Hyundai. They had their electric cars on campus, so I think it’s cool that we’re actually seeing action happen after that campaign.”
Pepperdine also offers a Sustainable Commute Program for those without electric vehicles who wish to commute sustainably. Staff and faculty can ride the bus or shuttle, carpool with others, join the university’s vanpool, ride their bike or walk. Participants then complete a tracking form to mark what days they utilized an alternative commute. Those who participate 10 or more times are entered into a monthly raffle for a prize.
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Email Julie Lee: julie.lee@pepperdine.edu
