Published: March 2, 2021

CU Boulder recently activated 16 new electric vehicle (EV) charging ports in the Folsom parking garage, elevating the university to 50 EV charging ports on campus. Included in these new charging stations are the university’s first two EV spots that are designated for ADA parking spaces.

Of the university’s 50 charging ports, 44 are for public parking and six spots are for CU Boulder fleet vehicles. The public charging ports are spread out across Main and East campuses and are open to parking permit holders and visitors, depending on the lot designation.

“This is an exciting milestone and just one example of the cross-campus collaboration that is occurring as we strive to reduce the university’s carbon footprint,” said David Kang, vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability.

EV portThe new EV charging ports and all of the campus spots are marked on the ChargePoint app and can be found on CU Boulder’s campus map.

The first EV charger was installed near the Wolf Law building in late 2010. In 2016, the growth of CU Boulder's EV program was accelerated thanks to a grant from Charge Ahead Colorado. This funding was able to cover the cost of 14 charging ports on East Campus, with four at the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building (JSCBB) and 10 at the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community (SEEC).

In 2017, CU Boulder's Parking Services received the "Wired Workplace" award from the Colorado Energy Office and the Regional Air Quality Council thanks to their advancement of electric vehicle charging infrastructure on campus.

The collaborative work of Parking Services, Transportation Services, the Environmental Center, Wolf Law, SEEC, Biotech and the Norlin Library combined with funding of more than $150,000 from multiple Charge Ahead Colorado grants has led CU Boulder to this significant milestone of 50 EV charging ports.

“Getting to 50 EV charging ports on the CU Boulder campus could not have been accomplished without the work of so many campus partners,” said Tom McGann, director of CU’s parking services. “We are proud to do our part to support the university’s environmental initiatives.”

Electrifying transportation is crucial for both Colorado and CU Boulder to attain their greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. Transportation currently accounts for one-third of Northern Colorado's greenhouse gas emissions, which puts the state in non-compliance with Federal Clean Air Act standards. In metro Denver, driving an EV today is the equivalent of getting 50 miles per gallon based on carbon emissions, which will only increase as Xcel Energy's power generation mix shifts to more wind and solar.

For more information and resources for EV charging on-campus visit the Parking & Transportation Services EV webpage.