EV’s are Charging Forward: Preparing Your Campus
By Phillip Oprie, PE
February 16, 2023
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As technology continues to evolve and electrical vehicles (EVs) become more prominent in today’s society, it may be time to start considering including electric vehicle chargers on your campus.You may be thinking – electric vehicles, that’s still a long way off. We don’t need to worry about having EV chargers yet! The transition to EVs is coming quicker than you think. So, what does this look like for your campus, and why is it important to start planning for an EV future now?
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Well, the transition may be coming quicker than you think.California (CA) has established a regulation that by 2035 (a mere 13 years away), 100% of new cars sold in CA will be zero-emission vehicles. Even the Midwest, often years behind the coasts as far as new innovations, is establishing groundwork for EVs and EV charging stations. More and more we’re seeing Teslas, Ford F150 Lightnings, and other EVs zipping around on a regular basis.
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So what does this look like for your company, and why is it important to start planning for an EV future now?A great step is to start with your staff and end users. Send out a survey to find out how many people currently own an EV, or plan on owning one in the near future. Ask them if having an EV charging station on campus would make a positive difference for them. Second, check on your state’s EV initiatives. Many car manufacturers themselves have goals to reduce or completely eliminate the production of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), or fuel-powered, vehicles by a certain year. Read up on what’s happening in your region, and make sure you’re planning ahead! |
Before you start to panic about what you need to be doing to get your campus ready for the future of EVs, worry no further.Architects and engineers are already on top of the solutions available to you, and Design Collaborative has an electrical designer on board with a special interest in electric vehicles – Phillip Oprie. If you’re wondering where to start, he would be a great resource to reach out to with questions! |
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What’s great about preparing for the future of EVs is that you don’t need to have full blown EV charging stations ready to go – you can start with just integrating the base of the station into your building’s design, and update it later with actual charging abilities.
It’s comforting to know that, while the development of EVs is rapidly approaching, as a president, board member, facilities manager, or whatever your role may be, you can start gradually updating your campus to accommodate this EV future without breaking the bank or interrupting your current plans. By initiating conversations now, organizations will ensure that their campuses are well-prepared for the impending shift by starting the process of gradually updating their buildings to accommodate EVs and ready themselves for the future.