Electric Vehicle Charging
This policy provides an infrastructure on campus that is welcoming to transportation via electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. The policy applies to all electric vehicle owners who park and charge at a University-owned electric vehicle charger, whether they are a University community member or a visitor to campus.
Internal combustion vehicles as well as non-plug-in hybrids are not permitted to park in a parking spot designated with an electric vehicle charger.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to promote efficient charging behavior on campus so that multiple electric vehicle (and plug-in hybrid) drivers can use the chargers and to decrease range anxiety, meaning the electric vehicle owners' concern that they will be unable to make it to their desired destination without a charge. With a policy in place and enforced by the University, "squatting" behavior (chargers used by only one vehicle per day) decreases, and use of chargers by visitors and commuters is maximized.
General Usage Rules
All users of the electric vehicle chargers located on the Evanston campus will be subject to the rules and requirements below.
- Safety: Please remember to charge your vehicle safely. All electric vehicle charger users must wrap up and store charging cords properly when not in use.
- Preferred Users: Preference for charging is given to fully electric vehicles over plug-in hybrids.
- Fair Charging: If your car does not require a charge to reach your end destination, do not use a charger. This ensures that chargers are available to those who need the charge to make it to their end destination without using fossil fuels.
- Yield to Signage: All drivers must adhere to the signage posted near the chargers. Failure to do so may result in fines as outlined in this policy.
- Parking Fee: All applicable parking fees apply for access to the garages.
Charger Time Limits and Fees
All students, faculty, staff and visitors to the University may use the electric vehicle chargers. Outlined below are the time limits and fees associated with using the University's electric vehicle chargers. All applicable parking fee charges apply in order to access the chargers.
- Three hours of free charging is offered. After three hours, the vehicle owner must remove their car from the charger and the parking space designated to the charger.
- If the charger is not removed from the vehicle after the three hours of free charging, $3.25 per hour is charged to the electric vehicle owner via the charger itself.
Impeding Use of Chargers
A $40.00 fee for unlawfully parking in or blocking an electric vehicle charging spot may be issued to vehicle owners.
"Unlawfully parking in an electric vehicle charging spot" means:
- parking an internal combustion engine vehicle in the spot,
- parking an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid in the spot and not using the electric vehicle charger, and/or
- parking in a way that blocks or impedes other drivers from being able to use the electric vehicle charger.
Consequences of Violating This Policy
An electric vehicle owner charging for longer than the free three-hour time limit will be charged $3.25 per hour for the time exceeding three hours.
A vehicle blocking or impeding the use of an electric vehicle charger (definition above) may receive a $40 ticket issued by Transportation & Parking, University Police or garage management.