Bates College Electrifies Campus with Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations

Electrifying Campus Transportation

Bates College is committed to reducing its carbon footprint through its Sustainability Roadmap, which includes ambitious goals for electrifying both its internal vehicle fleet and encouraging the broader campus community to adopt electric vehicles (EVs). The college has been actively transitioning its fleet from fossil fuels to electricity, most recently with the acquisition of five new electric vehicles. This process will continue annually, with older gas-powered vehicles being systematically replaced by new EVs.

Expanding EV Charging Infrastructure

Bates continues to lead in providing accessible EV charging facilities for its staff, faculty, and students. The EV chargers on campus are a direct result of the efforts of sustainability-focused students who successfully secured grants and researched policy incentives to accelerate the transition to electrified transportation. For instance, Tamsin Stringer ’22 wrote two successful grants to fund some of the EV chargers currently on campus.

Using the EV Charging Stations

To use the EV charging stations on campus, follow these steps:

1. Download the ChargePoint app from your smartphone’s app store.
2. Create a ChargePoint account through the app.
3. Upon arriving at a charging station, open the app and authenticate using the station’s RFID reader or by selecting the station within the app.
4. Plug your EV into the charging port.
5. The charging session will begin automatically, and you can monitor its progress through the app.
6. You’ll receive alerts when your vehicle is fully charged or if there are any issues.

For assistance, contact ChargePoint customer support.

Charging Rates and Policies

The charging rate is equivalent to residential charging rates at home. To ensure availability, an idle fee of $4 per hour is applied one hour after charging is complete. These rates were determined through an interdepartmental collaborative process based on best practices for EV charging fees. The goal is to encourage responsible use while providing a supplementary charging service for the campus community.

As Bates continues to grow its EV infrastructure, the college aims to support its commitment to sustainability and reduce its environmental impact.