The 2012 spring semester at City College marks an environmental milestone with the addition of several electric vehicle charging stations that have been installed in the V building’s parking lot.

Students who commute to school in electric vehicles now have the opportunity to recharge their vehicles while in class for a small fee.

The addition of these charging stations is City’s conscious attempt to become more eco-friendly.

By promoting the use of lithium ion batteries rather than combustion engines, commuters save money on gasoline and reduce their carbon footprint.

Electric vehicles expel no tailpipe emissions and can travel up to 100 miles on a single charge, usually needing 8 hours to re-charge. Lithium ion batteries are also smaller, lighter and more reliable than gasoline engines.

The San Diego Community College district purchased the stations using funds allocated to them through the $1.55 billion propositions S and N construction bond programs.
Last Sept., ECOtality, a San Francisco based electric vehicle charging company, installed more than 1,000 charging stations around San Diego County.

The electric vehicle charging stations are part of ECOtality’s Blink Network, an online program that allows drivers to remotely schedule and charge their vehicles with a Blink card.
Electric vehicle enthusiasts looking to sign up for membership to the Blink Network can do so by going to blinknetwork.com and selecting charging plans ranging from $1 to $2 per hour.