On Apr. 11, Bill Huggins, Director of Building Systems Management for Facilities Management, announced via email that 10 electric car charging stations had been installed on campus. Currently, the charging stations are located at places like the Office of Admissions, Ferguson Hall, and Dunham Circle to allow visitors and community members to charge their electric cars.

The College decided to install these charging stations at the request of the Office of Admissions.

“By having the charging stations on campus, and, in particular, in admissions, Hamilton is accommodating families who might have an electric car, and is also communicating that we care about our environment — and are supportive of our prospective students who are as well,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Monica Inzer.

Electric cars have grown in popularity throughout the world in recent years as an alternative to cars that use gas. Makers of these vehicles says they are not only environmentally-friendly but can help users save money on transportation costs.

Huggins said that prior to the Office of Admissions’ request, he was not aware of any interest or requests from students about adding electric car charging stations on campus. Nevertheless, he said Hamilton decided to take the action given the likely increase in electric cars in the future. It was also an opportune time to install them because the College recently received a grant from National Grid and NYSERDA to add such stations.

Most of the charging stations on campus can accommodate two cars, but certain locations have only one designated spot for charging. The number of charging spots at these locations will increase as demand increases, but for now, the system can accommodate 20 cars charging at the one time. These parking spots can be used only by individuals as they charge their cars, while certain spots, such as those at the Office of Admissions, are available only to visitors.

To access and start using the stations, students can download the free EV Connect app on their phone. After creating an account, a user can simply scan the QR code or Port ID of the station, plug in their car, and begin charging. The app will alert the user when the car is fully charged.

Huggins stressed in his email the importance of moving your car once it is fully charged or after three hours in order to allow others to charge their cars.

“Much self-policing will need to take place in order to make this program a success,” he wrote. Those who fail to observe the rules of the stations will receive a ticket or have their car towed if it is not moved after three hours.

The charging station is currently free, but Hamilton may start charging a small fee once demand increases. Huggins could not say at what point the college would begin to charge a fee.

While Huggins says he is aware of only eight electric cars on campus, this is no indication of future demand — and use is not limited to the immediate community.

Said Inzer: “The first day the chargers were put in we had a visiting family plug in to use it in our parking lot!”