Electric & Vehicles, EV Charging and High Efficiency Vehicle Parking

Electric Vehicle Charging

As part of its sustainability goals and commitments, Williams College has installed 10 Level 2, dual-port EV charging stations by ChargePoint. You can find their locations below, on the interactive campus map, or by visiting the ChargePoint website. Please note that the campus map marks both HEV parking and EV charging stations with the same symbol—click on the pin to see which are offered at that location. 

To use the EV charging stations you will need a ChargePoint account with a valid credit card. This video explains how to use the stations.

Charging Fees

Effective July 1, 2024, the following fees apply for using the ChargePoint charging stations:

• $0.18/kWh from 8am – 8pm, Monday-Sunday
• $0.14/kWh from 8pm – 8am, Monday-Sunday
• $3.00/hour overstay fee when the vehicle is fully charged, after a 45 min grace period. To facilitate overnight charging, the overstay fee is not in effect Monday-Sunday, 8pm – 8am. *

The rates will apply to all of the college’s ChargePoint charging stations. 

The college is committed to supporting clean transportation. The fees are below current market rates for public EV charging in our area and will help the college to continue offering and expanding workplace electric vehicle charging.

Charging Station Expansion

New Level 2 ChargePoint chargers are planned in conjunction with the construction of the Multipurpose Recreation Center and the new Williams College Museum of Art. Another new station will be reserved for use by Facilities as part of our fleet electrification efforts.

Solar-Powered Charging

For those seeking 100% clean power for their vehicle, we have good news. We will install a new 4-port solar-powered charging station developed by the Vermont-based company Solaflect.

The station relies 100% on solar energy and can generate enough power to add up to 240 miles of range across its four ports on a sunny summer day. The four charging spots will complement the grid-connected ChargePoint stations and be available on a lease basis to 4 faculty/staff for $35 per month for 12 months.  Sign up quickly to join the lottery for these spots! (See below for information on how we plan to assign charging spot leases)

How does this work?

The Solaflect station uses a 6.24kW dual axis solar PV array that tracks the sun and generates electricity to charge vehicles plugged into one to four of its charging ports. The tracking array increases power generation by up to 40% compared with fixed arrays.

The reliance on solar irradiance means that electric power generation is variable, although a small battery ensures that the system does not turn on and off too frequently, thereby extending its lifespan.

Where will the Solaflect station be installed?

The top candidate locations we have currently identified based on parking lot size and configuration as well as sun exposure are the lots at Stetson/Sawyer and Hollander Hall.

Why are you “leasing” the charging spots?

Due to the variability in the station’s solar power generation, we cannot guarantee a certain output in the same way that we can for the grid-connected ChargePoint stations, especially over short durations. It is preferable for vehicles to be plugged in for longer time periods. We, therefore, opted for a “leasing model” where the EV driver rents a designated space for use. This is also the approach taken by Dartmouth College, which installed a Solaflect charging station in the fall of 2023 and has seen it work well. Think of it as reserving your own parking + charging spot. Sign up to join the lottery for these spots!

How long will the lease be?

We plan to lease Solaflect charging spots for a full 12-month period to provide the user with a full cycle of seasonal solar power.

How will you assign leases?

We plan to hold a lottery among interested faculty and staff and assign spots as soon as the station is installed and operational. Sign up to join the lottery for these spots!

When will the Solaflect station be operational?

We are currently finalizing the contract and permitting for the station and expect it to be installed in July-August.

How did you determine the leasing cost for the spot?

We sought to make the cost comparable to that of the ChargePoint stations. To do so, we determined the monthly leasing cost of $35 using the average expected solar power output over the course of a 12-month period of the Solaflect unit and dividing it equally among the four charging spots and an assumed weekday charging pattern. That said, the variable output coupled with a fixed monthly cost means that the actual cost per kWh dispensed to the vehicle’s battery will vary and depend on several factors, including actual solar irradiation, number and length of charging sessions, size of the battery, and charging status of battery when the vehicle is plugged in.

What happens if fewer than 4 vehicles are actively charging?

The Solaflect station always divides current power output equally among plugged-in vehicles. For example, if two vehicles are actively charging, each receives 50% of the power generated.

Is the Solaflect station a good choice for me?

The Solaflect charging station offers a different way of battery charging than the ChargePoint stations. Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding if you want to participate in the lottery. If you answer yes to all of them, then the Solaflect station could be a great fit for you.

• Are you ok with not knowing exactly how many kWh your vehicle’s battery will receive? (Note: You can use the ChargePoint stations to complement your charging needs, but will need to pay for both.)
• Are your average charging needs aligned with the expected output of the station? For example, if you typically only need to add a few miles of range, the monthly leasing cost might translate to a comparatively high per kWh cost. On the other hand, if you need to reliably add 60 miles or more to your vehicle’s battery, including in the winter, the Solaflect station is less likely to consistently deliver that than the ChargePoint stations. Similarly, if you are not regularly on campus for much of the year, your cost per kWh is likely to be comparatively high (you could, however, consider sharing the spot and its cost with somebody else).
• Do you like having a reserved parking + charging spot?
• Is the location of the station suitable for you (likely either the parking lot at Stetson/Sawyer or Hollander Hall)?
• Do you like that the electricity for your vehicle comes 100% from carbon-free solar power?

How do you ensure that nobody else is using my assigned spot?

Lottery winners will receive an RFID card to unlock the charging plug at their designated spot and charge their vehicle’s battery. Without the card, charging is not possible. If an unauthorized vehicle is parked in the spot, contact Campus Safety.

What if I’m not on campus for the full 12 months or work partially remotely during the week?

You can make arrangements to share the spot with others by sharing the RFID card. You will be considered the designated user of the spot by the college and be responsible for the monthly lease fee.

If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Zilkha Center (Tanja Srebotnjak, [email protected]).

• ADA accessible EV Charging

  The college has also updated its policy regarding the ADA accessible charging port at the Greylock Garage: It is now an ADA-only EV charging spot and its use requires a disability placard. New signage is in the process of being installed. Please be considerate and don’t use this spot unless you have a disability placard. Campus Safety will enforce the designation.

• EV Charging Station Locations

  ‘62 Center Parking Garage (upper deck) — 2 units: 3 Public spaces and 1 Public handicap space

  Chapman Rink — 1 unit: 2 Faculty/Staff only parking spaces

  Hollander Hall — 1 unit: 2 Faculty/Staff only parking spaces

  Sawyer Library — 1 unit: 2 Public parking spaces

  Spencer House — 1 unit: 2 Faculty/Staff only parking spaces

  Spring Street Lot — 1 unit: 2 Public parking spaces

  Williams Inn — 1 unit: 2 Public/ Patrons parking spaces

  Weston Field — 1 unit: 2 Public parking spaces

  **Facilities — 1 unit: 2 spaces EXCLUSIVELY for facilities vehicle use, strictly enforced

• EV Use and Battery Care

  We have put together some helpful tips on how to use and care for an electric vehicle.

• EV Fun Facts

  When charged using (mostly) green electricity, electric vehicles (EVs) produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change than conventional gas vehicles, and no tailpipe emissions. Although the vehicle's battery adds to the initial environmental impacts, the use phase makes up for that in typically 1-3 years.

  Did you know? 

  • 80% of the energy in an electric vehicle battery is transferred directly to powering the car, whereas in a combustion engine vehicle only 15% of the energy goes directly toward powering the car.
  • Gasoline vehicles are responsible for $37 billion in health and climate costs each year. If electric vehicles represent 65% of all vehicles in only 10 states by 2050, those costs would drop by $21 billion.
  • It’s cheaper to drive an EV. On average, the cost per mile to drive an electric car is approximately half the cost per mile for the average combustion engine car.
  • Switching to an electric vehicle can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 50%.

High Efficiency Vehicle Parking

High Efficiency Vehicle (HEV) parking spaces were created on campus to meet certain requirements of LEED building projects.  The number of HEV parking spaces was calculated to achieve LEED certification points for these building projects. The goal is to encourage people to think about fuel efficiency and emissions when they drive and purchase cars.

You can find the HEV parking locations on the interactive campus map. Please note that the campus map marks both HEV parking and EV charging stations with the same symbol—click on the pin to see which are offered at that location. 

The Zilkha Center has updated the HEV parking policy to better reflect the college’s sustainability goals and the growth in clean vehicles. Drivers/owners of vehicles that qualify for HEV parking and follow the instructions below can obtain a “High Efficiency Vehicle” sticker and are permitted to park in the designated spots.

To register your vehicle,

• Check that your car meets the updated HEV policy;
• Present the vehicle registration information to DeeDee Lewis at the ’66 Environmental Center, who will verify your vehicle is eligible and issue a HEV sticker;
• Vehicles displaying this decal adjacent to the standard Williams parking permit are permitted to park in the preferred spaces.