Public Safety invested in two electric cars to be more environmentally-friendly. |Photo by Joe Lachance
In an effort to make a more environmentally-friendly campus, the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Public Safety recently bought two new all-electric cars.
The two Chevy Volts retail at approximately $33,000. They are entirely electric, meaning they are simply recharged at a charging station when running low on mileage, opposed to running on gasoline. The cars can get up to 247 miles before needing a recharge.
Samuel Adams, assistant director for emergency management and public safety, made the decision to purchase the cars. He manages public safety’s 36 cars. He determined that the department needed to replace one vehicle as well as add another vehicle. This led him to buy the two Volts.
“Part of our master fleet plan is to try and be as green as we possibly can,” Adams said. “In the last three years we bought hybrid vehicles, and the next step is having these all-electric vehicles. They’re comfortable, they handle well, they’re peppy and they’re nice to drive around campus because they’re little.”
The electric vehicles also offer simpler maintenance, according to Adams.
“When you go to an electric vehicle, there’s no exhaust, no cooling system, no fueling system,” Adams said. “All the things you have to worry about go away, so the maintenance cost is lower, and obviously the operating cost is too.”
According to Adams, the cost of electricity to recharge the Volts is about one-fourth of what gasoline would be to run a traditional vehicle. The time it takes to charge ranges from overnight to a few hours, Adams said.
Pamela McCarthy, the interim coordinator for environmental health and safety, has been driving the new Volts for about two months.
“I do [like driving them],” McCarthy said. “I was surprised by how well they run. I thought they would be sluggish, but they actually have a lot of pickup.”
The main difficulty with the electric cars is charging them. There is no charging station on campus for the electric cars. This means they have to be taken to an off-campus location to recharge, which is sometimes inconvenient.
“Because we only take it around campus for the most part, it goes about two weeks in between charges,” McCarthy said. “It’s an inconvenience, but I think it’s worth it.”
Adams stated that Public Safety is trying to adhere to the University-wide initiative to be more green and environmentally friendly in the future, hence the department’s electric car purchase.
“The campus overall has a sustainability initiative, so we’re trying to follow that, but it’s also the right thing to do, in terms of the campus environment and our carbon footprint,” Adams said.
While Public Safety and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety are excited to add the new cars, they are relatively small, and the department needs a varying range of vehicle sizes. However, many vehicle classes, such as vans and trucks, do not come with electric options, forcing the department to buy standard engine vehicles that run on gasoline.
According to Adams, the departments are trying to do as much as they can do to be green, but these market limitations prevent them from purchasing what’s ideal. He said that he always looks to buy an electric vehicle first, then defaults to hybrids, and lastly standard engines.
Adams hopes that the purchase of the two electric cars will set a precedent for the rest of the University.
“We’re hoping that this purchase on our part will pave the way for other departments, where it’s appropriate, to do the same thing,” he said. “I think people are kind of reluctant to do something in a way. It’s something different; a new technology. Nobody ever wants to be the first.”