Electric vehicles can now be plugged into a charger in GW’s Academic Center Parking Garage.
Owners of electric-powered cars will now be able to charge their vehicles at the George Washington University.
An electric charging station was installed on the basement level of GW’s Academic Center Parking Garage thanks to ChargePoint America, which is a program operated by Coulomb Technologies to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure to 10 selected regions in the U.S. Users can search for charging stations on ChargePoint’s website.
The program is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Transportation Electrification Initiative, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy and aims to accelerate the development and production of electric vehicles to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas production and create jobs. Municipalities and institutions may apply to ChargePoint to receive free charging stations.
“One way we can help build, maintain and green GW is by supporting new technologies in transportation,” said Robert Defendini, executive director of GW’s Transportation and Parking Services. “The electric charging station does just that by allowing our customers with electric vehicles to drive, park and charge them on campus.”
Users of GW’s charging station, which offers Level 2 power (there are three possible levels), will pay an hourly rate of $1.50.
The electric vehicle market is projected to grow significantly over the next few years as electric cars support a cleaner environment, reduce dependence on foreign oil and operate at a lower cost than gasoline-powered vehicles. While many people who purchase electric vehicles will also purchase a charging station for their home, a major challenge for the mass adoption of electric vehicles is the need to charge vehicles when away from home. Drivers of electric vehicles need access to charging stations in locations where they will park their cars for long periods of time.
“The ChargePoint program gives GW the opportunity to have a charging station on campus and be part of the ChargePoint network, a leading electric vehicle infrastructure,” said Meghan Chapple-Brown, director of GW’s Office of Sustainability.
GW is committed to promoting and incentivizing lower carbon transportation options as laid out in its Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce GW’s carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2025 and reach carbon neutrality by 2040. While GW covered installation costs, the charging station was provided at no cost to GW from ChargePoint.
“The electric charging station is just one way that GW is piloting new sustainable technologies on campus,” said Ms. Chapple-Brown. “GW is happy to help support the growth of the electric vehicle market by hosting charging infrastructure on its campus, and we look forward to customers using the station.”
Mr. Defendini said GW will monitor the usage of the charging station to determine if more stations would be beneficial on campus.