WCC introduces phase 3 of EV installation

Sasha Hatinger 

Staff Writer

Washtenaw Community College is currently in phase three of installing electric vehicle (EV) chargers on its campus. The previous two phases included installing EV chargers at WCC’s on-campus parking garage and the Health and Fitness Center, which are now open to students and the public.

New EV chargers

Associate Vice President of Operations Craig Whipstock explained that the locations for the EV chargers were chosen based on where the fleet vehicles are kept. Fleet vehicles are college-owned vehicles, such as those operated by the facilities department. 

For instance, the EV chargers for the grounds and maintenance fleet vehicles are located near the shipping and receiving building. Some EV chargers for fleet vehicles are in the parking garage. EV chargers for the public and students are in the WCC parking garage and the Health and Fitness Center.

“We were given direction by the board to be carbon neutral, or as carbon neutral as we can by 2030,” Whipstock said. He explained that EVs are replacing the older campus fleet vehicles. 

For phase three, WCC will be working with contractors to add EV charging stations to parking lots one, six and seven. 

Six new 40-amp chargers will be installed in front of the Morris J. Lawrence building (lot one) and eight-level two chargers behind the Crane Liberal Arts and Science Building (lots six and seven) within a budget of $306,280. 

That budget is part of the Established Green Fund, created to subsidize anything supporting the green initiative. 

The cost of purchasing fleet EVs or electric riding lawn mowers would be part of the Established Green Fund. According to Whipstock, the goal is to complete phase three by spring of next year.

“Right now, we have had a hi-low, or a forklift truck, which was 1988,” Whipstock said. “We’re getting rid of that, and it’s propane–but we’re going electric. We currently have two electric vans, two electric carts, two electric riding lawn mowers, numerous weed whips and electric blowers.”

As far as contractors are concerned, Huron Valley completed the Health and Fitness Center, Harper Electric completed the Shipping and Receiving building and AF Smith completed the Morris J. Lawrence building. 

Whipstock added that the installed infrastructure will support more EV chargers in the future. 

Get involved

WCC is also introducing new EV courses to students, including Alternative Vehicle Fundamentals and Safety (ATT180), Intro to EV (ATT280), and three others, this coming winter semester. 

Shawn Deron, a full-time faculty member at WCC, will be the instructor for ATT280. “We’re glad WCC is offering these courses,” Deron said. “For the students’ benefit.”

For more details on the EV courses offered at WCC, visit https://catalog.wccnet.edu/current/courses/asv.php. 

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