UNT to add six electrical vehicle charging stations

by Mackenzie Yelvington of North Texas Daily

UT Arlington also has chargers on campus.

Ecotality charging station

During its meeting on Monday, the We Mean Green Fund subcommittee approved a proposal to bring six electric vehicle charging stations – equipped with a 60-inch charger as well as a handicap-accessible charger – to the Radio, Television, and Film Building, the Murchison Performing Arts Center, and Wooten Hall at UNT.

The WMGF subcommittee will pay ECOtality a total of $65,737 for electrical and data work, excavation, repaving, restriping and the required signage. ECOtality will provide the equipment and cables free of charge and also grant UNT $13,500 for installation.

“I am hoping this will encourage people in the Denton area to have more either hybrid or electric vehicles,” said Helen Bailey, director of facility management and construction and facilities representative for the WMGF subcommittee.

International development sophomore Matt McCallum and Brad Holt, UNT alumnus and senior videographer for University Relations, Communications and Marketing, proposed the EV charging station project.

They originally submitted separate proposals, but the Office of Sustainability put them in contact to tackle the project together.

“Between us, the Office of Sustainability and facilities it really was a group effort; we just started it,” McCallum said.

Currently, the University of Texas at Arlington, University of California Los Angeles, University of Colorado, and Vanderbilt have EV chargers on campus. UTA outgrew their original infrastructure of one charging station that was donated to them and had to install two more stations due to demand, said Jeff Johnson, UTA director of maintenance and special projects.

“It has to start somewhere,” said Evan Carpenter, WMGF subcommittee vice chair and sociology pre-doctoral student. He said the subcommittee was most concerned about the cost associated with the installation of the chargers and how much of students’ money from the WMGF would be spent.

“Once people realize how much they are saving by not buying gas, it really is worth it,” said Holt, soon to be owner of an electric Tesla Roadster Model S.

The Tesla Roadster is one of the top of the line EV’s on the market. The Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf are two standard-priced EVs currently offered, but many more are scheduled to be released soon.