A site near Gregory Hall has been prepared for one of three electric charging stations being installed on the campus.
SUNY Fredonia is joining the system-wide initiative to make sure there are electric charging stations at every SUNY campus with the installation of charging units that are expected to go into service by early November.
The Faculty Student Association is purchasing three dual-port units from ChargePoint, a leading EV charging network, for $35,979. The campus will install them and be fully reimbursed for those costs by federal program funding, according to FSA Executive Director Darin Schulz.
“There is no cost to SUNY Fredonia at all, just FSA, which is paying the cost of the units,” Mr. Schulz said.
The charging stations – placed apart from each other in high-traffic areas – can be found in Lot 3 (between Thompson and Fenton halls), Lot 10 (near Dods Hall) and Lot 24 (near Gregory Hall). They are Level 2 stations that use 208-24 volts at 30 amps. The time to fully charge an almost-depleted vehicle battery depends on whether the car is a plug-in hybrid or fully electric, such as a Tesla.
“I want to thank FSA for taking on this initiative. These charging stations will benefit not only the campus community, but our Fredonia community, because everybody can use them.” - Vice President for Finance and Administration Michael Metzger
Locations for the units were chosen by a small committee, which included representatives of FSA, the Finance and Administration, and Facilities Services, based on what made the most sense for motorists who would be likely to use them as well as access to electricity from nearby buildings, said Director of Facilities Services Kevin Cloos. The Gregory Hall site will be convenient for travelers and other members of the public who patronize Starbucks or the bookstore or attend an event at the Williams Center.
“We are hoping the location near Gregory Hall will give people a good reason to go into Starbucks or go to the convenience store or bookstore while they’re waiting,” Schulz added.
Charging costs are expected to be in the range of 30 to 35 cents per kilowatt hour, Schulz said. Fully-charged all-electric vehicles can be expected to deliver a driving range of 200 to 300 miles. The campus charging stations will be operational 24 hours a day.
Use of the charging stations is fully app-driven.
“In order to utilize the system, you download the app, and the app will show if the units are charging or not, and if space is open, you take it,” Schulz explained. Parking spaces adjacent to each charging station are intended only for use during actual charging time.
Bringing electric charging stations to the campus is also part of the university’s transition toward carbon neutrality.
“This is one of the programs that we are implementing to ensure that we will meet those guidelines put out by the governor, first by (Andrew) Cuomo and now by (Kathy) Hochul,” said Vice President for Finance and Administration Michael Metzger.
“I want to thank FSA for taking on this initiative. These charging stations will benefit not only the campus community, but our Fredonia community, because everybody can use them,” Metzger noted.
Facilities Services is coordinating site preparation, which includes a new concrete base for the charging unit itself, placement of electrical conduit, signage and new sidewalks, as well as actual installation of the units.
