UB rolls out largest EV fleet charging lot among NYS universities

Big things are happening in the Beane parking lot on the North Campus, where a bank of new electric vehicle charging stations have been installed for university-owned vehicles. The project was completed in partnership with National Grid and the New York Power Authority (NYPA).

The new Level 2 and Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) stations will allow UB to charge up to 40 of its fleet electric vehicles at the same time. It represents one of the largest EV fleet charging facilities in New York State, and is the largest EV fleet charging lot among colleges and universities in the state. In addition, the initiative has been “future proofed” for later expansion by installing key infrastructure that can be leveraged to double EV charging capacity as demand warrants.

Level 2 chargers, which are the most common, can fully charge an EV overnight, while DCFC’s can provide 80% battery charge in a little over a half hour.

The new stations are much-needed as the university continues its carbon-neutrality goals as part of its UB 10 in 10 climate action plan. One of the 10 solutions, Zero Carbon Mobility, calls for UB to transition its vehicle fleet to electric — with every new purchased vehicle needing to be electric, which also proactively positions UB slightly ahead of a New York State requirement that state agencies such as UB have 100% zero emission vehicle light duty fleets by 2035, or 2040 for medium and heavy duty fleets.

“The new EV fleet lot is a game-changer for our university-owned electric vehicle fleet as we’ll now have much greater capacity to charge more vehicles at the same time, which will ensure continuity of vital services while reducing our vehicle greenhouse gas emissions,” says Laura Hubbard, vice president for finance and administration. “This is a major tactic in UB’s carbon neutrality efforts, and that’s why the university stepped up to make this happen through its partners and the university’s Climate Action Fund.”

Several units on campus, including Facilities, Campus Dining and Shops, UB Information Technology and others, have already begun converting to electric vehicles. And last year, Parking and Transportation Services entered into an agreement with WeDriveU to transition nearly half of the UB Stampede buses to electric.

The addition of the new fleet vehicle EV chargers has the potential to reduce 1,653 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE) — a standardized unit of measurement for all six major types of greenhouse gases — annually as the university converts its fleet, according to UB’s Chief Sustainability Officer Ryan McPherson.

Work on the $2 million project began last fall and was made possible by the university’s Climate Action Fund — a key resource that senior leadership created to advance UB’s climate action plan. In addition, the project was eligible for and earned incentives offered by National Grid that will assist in covering costs related to bringing electric infrastructure from the building to the lot.

“Our collaboration and strategic planning with the University at Buffalo’s Fleet and Sustainability offices, as well as the concerted efforts from NYPA, have resulted in the installation of 38 Level 2 chargers and four fast-charging ports that will power UB’s large fleet of vehicles,” says Whitney Skeans, lead program manager for National Grid's EV Make Ready Program. “This project marks the second phase of a project that National Grid has supported at UB to expand charging facilities, and we’re delighted to play a part in advancing the university’s sustainable transportation solutions that will benefit the campus community for years to come.”

The initiative also leveraged a dynamic partnership with the Power Authority, which managed the work and provided critical capacity to keep the project on time and on budget.

“The Power Authority is committed to supporting electric fleet transitions across New York State, from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to the new Beane lot facility, which will provide a solid foundation for the University at Buffalo’s transition to a fully electric fleet,” says New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “We are pleased to partner with UB as it kick-starts its charging infrastructure program and serves as a model for other institutions investing in low-carbon transportation.”

“We had terrific partners on this project with NYPA and National Grid, as well as our contractors PlugIn Stations Online, Ferguson Electric, M/E Engineering and EV Connect,” says Nate Bolt, assistant director of construction delivery in UB Facilities. “Everything went smoothly and, in fact, we never had to shut anything down in the parking lot during installation.”

The Beane lot project built off the successful pilot program initiated in 2013 and a larger follow-up program in 2021, which provided over 30 chargers for students, staff and faculty commuters, and was supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and National Grid. Those locations include Mary Talbert Way just outside of Bonner Hall, Coventry Road at Bissell Hall and the Jacobs B lot on the North Campus, as well as the Parker Hall lot and the Diefendorf Loop on the South Campus.

“We learned a lot through this previous work, and this is a natural extension that will enable us to truly electrify our fleet of over 350 vehicles,” says McPherson.

While the project was designed as the first EV fleet lot at UB, it will not be the last. Future district EV fleet charging infrastructure is also being looked at for the Ellicott Complex and the athletics and arts end of the North Campus, as well as South Campus. 

“Congratulations to the University at Buffalo and its partners on the installation of new, on-campus charging stations that will support a growing fleet of zero-emission vehicles while building a landscape for more chargers in the future,” says NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris. “It is great to see UB lead by example in advancing models of sustainability that can be replicated across SUNY campuses and help improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions and pollution in the greater Buffalo community.”