Driving electric at Colby: is it possible?

This past week, the Wall Street Journal posted an article titled: “What’s Missing in the Electric-Vehicle Revolution: Enough Places to Plug In.” With growing interest in the electric car market being reflected in companies like Tesla, the practicality of shifting the way we travel has to be considered. 

The article specifically focused on car manufacturers other than Tesla and highlighted the difficulty one finds when searching for a charging station. While on the road, users discovered that stations were sparse and overly-crowded, resulting in delays while attempting longer drives. The infrastructure within the United States certainly needs to be expanded, but what is like for a College student? 

It is hard to miss the charging stations on Campus, especially when entering the Athletic Center. In fact, the College has offered this resource for electric cars since 2005 when the Alumni Center was built. At the time, three to four faculty had electric cars and the charging process would take twenty-four hours to complete. Today, the electric vehicle scene has grown, and there are a total of six stations affiliated with ChargePoint on campus, offering a total of twelve spots. There is also an additional station in the parking lot of the Downtown apartments. 

“In 2018, there were three dual ports installed in the Diamond lot, and then, with the Athletic Center being built, three more were added”, said Sandy Beauregard, the Director of Sustainability. She cited a growing amount of interest, a projected increase in the amount of electric vehicles, and adherence to LEED standards for these recent additions. The new stations are also considered level two, meaning that a fully electric car can be charged within four hours. 

Additionally, the previously mentioned new ChargePoint interface allows users to connect and see data on their phones about when their car is full. 

In the future, Beauregard also mentioned that the new performing arts center, once built, will have two or three more charging points. However, while these resources are readily available, the question of how frequently they are utilized still stands. 

“In February, nineteen unique vehicles used the charging stations”, Beauregard said, and she predicts that this number is predominantly made up of faculty and staff. However, as Maine becomes more electric car friendly, the amount of electric vehicles, especially those owned by students, may increase. The state of Maine has made recent efforts to strengthen their infrastructure, adding charging stations and financial incentives.

With both Maine and the usage for College laying the groundwork for electric cars, the prospects for growth and the potential for an electric car dominated campus seem in reach. I personally still believe that this future may be relatively far. However, as students, I think it is important to recognize the privilege we have to make the transition to electric vehicles, as we have strong infrastructure and networks to use. Obviously, it would be absurd for people to scrap or sell their cars and buy electric ones. But, in the future, when thinking about your next vehicle, remember that driving electric is possible at the College. 

~ Adrian Visscher `24