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Projects Updates for Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

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  1. EV support call with Phil Krein

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
    Electric Vehicle (EV) Task Force

    Sarthak and Morgan met with Phil Krein to talk about the EV charging support on campus. See attached the powerpoint slides that Phil shared. Following are some talking points:

    • Include Phil Krein to the EV steering committee meeting
    • Type-1 chargers – cheap and better for our campus needs
    • Schedule a meeting with only Maria, MW, and Stacey
    • Morgan will talk to Lowa about why Parking prefers Level-2 chargers
    • Talk to Utilities, which parking infrastructure is the healthiest to support the level-1 chargers and then talk to SSC if we can pilot it.

    See the meeting recording here: https://uofi.box.com/s/o462lbl362rpw9p7jvoet8cmqsgxf7x6

  2. Transportation iCAP Team Meeting 12/2/22

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Bicycle Parking & Storage
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    The transportation iCAP team met on Friday, December 2nd at 3:00 P.M. CST to discuss electric vehicle charging, and updates on bike shelter procurement for the university. Due to a software error, the meeting minutes were not recorded.

    Link to meeting recording: https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_u3g573fb

    Attached Files: 

  3. Metric for EV charging stations - Suggestion by Ria

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)

    Hi Morgan,

    The proposed metrics (i.e., number of level 2 chargers) are certainly interesting. Could we also track the chargers' utilization? My group can help with such an analysis as needed. I am happy to discuss opportunities for a more comprehensive assessment of shared charging use by the university fleet and other passenger vehicles in the university. Effective charging sharing and management schemes will play an important role as electric vehicle adoption and use grow. Thanks in advance!

    Best regards,

    Ria

    -- 

    Eleftheria (Ria) Kontou, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    Civil and Environmental Engineering

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    publish.illinois.edu/kontou/home

    New publication: Evacuation route planning for alternative fuel vehicles https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2022.103837

  5. EV charging stations and a personalized update about EVs - Robert O'Daniell

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)

    Following is an email from Robert O'Daniell regarding EV charging stations and his experience during his recent road trip.

    From: Robert O'Daniell
    Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2022 2:58 PM
    To: White, Morgan; Prasad, Sarthak; Kontou, Eleftheria
    Subject: A personalized update about EVs

     

    Hi - I did another roadtrip this weekend.  At a DCFC I chatted with a guy on a longer road trip that was intent on charging to 100%.   He was there a very long time as the charger slows remarkably as they go beyond 90%. For him to charge from 90% to 100% would take 15 minutes to get 25 miles. I spent 12 minutes at Target and got 75 miles of charge. 

     

    As this year has rolled on, attempts to improve my EV charging survey has waned. There has been decreasing willingness of people participating and I was having doubts about the questions I was asking.   So I have stopped.  And then the EV sections of the Inflation Reduction Act turned everything on its head.  

    Even the piece by Kontou that the July 28th IDOT WebEx meeting mentioned  as cutting edge shows its age in only a little over two years.  ( first a disclaimer - inspite of being a math major at UI 50 years ago, the equations and graphs in her report are a little too esoteric for me.)  But some of the basic information  demonstrates remarkable changes,  It mentioned 50 kw charging as fast, now NEVI mandates a minimum of 150kw (350 kw is now fast).   Mentioned charging locations that numbered at 1300.  Now Tesla alone has 1200 supercharger locations,  The mentioned EVgo has dropped from prominence, now Electrify America from its infancy in 2019 now leads the way. Electrify America currently has 800 and most are up to NEVI standards.   EVs charging up on off-peak hours takes advantage of unused capacity at those times ( and gets a discount). And now with two way charging, EVs can put power back on the grid at some heavy peak use periods. (Known as V2G)  Predictions of some EV issues will be difficult.


    Recent V2G articles.  

    https://electrek.co/2022/08/25/electric-school-buses-supply-80-hrs-energy-massachussetts-grid/

     

    BMW, Ford, GM will help incentivize California EV drivers to charge off-peak

     

    Can a Garage Full of Revel Taxis Stop the Next Blackout?

     

    Brooklyn-based Vehicle-to-Grid Bidirectional Station Charging back into NYC Grid | EnergyTech

     

    Alf+T0JozD8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

     

    So - EV charging will have two opposite effects on the grid.  Occasionally add to a peak load. But also help balance the load on the grid by taking some energy during off-peak hours and putting it back during peak load pressures. 

     

    EV charging also has another opposition.   DCFC continuing to get faster and  Levels 1 & 2 staying the same or getting slower. 


    The two factors are the "60% rule" and the increasing acceptance of convenience charging. 

     

     The 60% rule is to only charge between 20% and 80% (the 60% in the middle).   This protects battery life and has the advantage of saving time. Saved time is illustrated in the opening paragraph of this email.  3 times the charge in slightly less time.

     

    Accepting convenience charging is maximizing charging convenience.  Speed at DCFC.  And if its not convenient, I don’t charge (even if free). A different take on “Willingness To Pay” (if the charger is 100 yards away and I’ll only get 10 miles, why bother)

     

    Faster = = DCFC & the NEVI guidelines. DCFC is at least twice as fast when charging from 20% to 30% than it is when  charging from 70% to 80%.  Nobody (should) wants to charge to 100%, where the charging speed is similar to Level 2 charger.  Lots of current EVs charge faster than my car, and I can add 75 miles in the time it takes to use the rest room.  With the NEVI 50 mile interval, it guarantees roadtrips with minimal times as drivers plan better. 


    Slower = =  For my home, I spent $200 on the slowest level 2 charger available (16 amp).  Even if my VW is down to 20% when I go to bed, my "slow" charger will add enough range to get from CU to Woodridge ( 142 miles) when I get up.  In the 8 hour “off peak” window, 90 miles can be added. 

     

    Since few people in this area need 75 miles to get home from work, those that need to add charge before leaving work for home can get what they need from the slowest level 2 chargers.  This could save money for places like UI by reducing the cost of the EVSE and the necessary wiring for them.  It would be interesting to know if any workers at UI would  pay extra to rent a reserved parking space with a charger. (For those with longer commutes or no chargers at their apartment complex)

     

    We need to get our municipal leaders to get involved with IDOT and get one or more of the DCFC locations paid for with Federal money (NEVI program). Those DCFCs could fulfill all of UI needs for short term EV charging and the need for level 1 or 2 charging spaces.   But as a visible sign of support of sustainability issues, some should still be there. 

     

    Level 2 destination chargers scattered throughout the community will always be both used and appreciated,  As EV drivers learn the most efficient ways to charge, their WTP for level 2 charging will wane.   WTP for DCFC will always be there.


    Thank you for your time. 

     

    ps.  as a side note - a few details to go but I will be doing an EV interest group at OLLI soon.  (OLLI - UI affiliate of Osher Life Long Learning Institute)

     

    Robert K. O'Daniell

    Photographer Emeritus-News-Gazette

  8. Sarthak met with Gabe Lewis to talk about Electric Vehicles and EV charging

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase use of EVs and other Alternative Service Vehicles
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    On May 24, Sarthak Prasad met with Gabe Lewis to talk about EVs. Gabe is the Transportation Planner at the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) and he currently leads the RPC Tech Committee which consists of 7 members – Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Rantoul, St. Joseph, Mahomet, and Champaign County. Most recently, they had been talking about the feasibility of EVs in urban as well as the rural areas in the county.

    We talked about the US DOT's Charging Forward, an EV toolkit, that is primarily focused on EV Charging in the rural areas: https://www.transportation.gov/rural/ev/toolkit

    We also talked about Clean City Coalition. State of Illinois does not have a coalition, but Chicago has one and we could potentially reach out to them: https://cleancities.energy.gov/coalitions/

    https://cleancities.energy.gov/coalitions/chicago

    Also discussed the federal funding available through National EV Infrastructure (NEVI), Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), State and Local Planning for Energy (https://maps.nrel.gov/slope/), and EV Pro Lite (https://afdc.energy.gov/evi-pro-lite)

  9. Meeting between Sarthak Prasad, Morgan White, and Robert O'Daniell

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase use of EVs and other Alternative Service Vehicles
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    Robert O'Daniell met with Morgan and me on Friday, May 13, 2022. We talked about the following topics:

    • The University's upcoming task force for EVs. There will be two task forces -
      • On-campus
      • Community
    • Reserve List for new EVs - backlog of about 18 months. Ford is not putting more people on this list now.
    • How much EVs/Hybrids save over time
      • With the Tax credits and saving on fuel, the cost is very comparable and sometimes cheaper than gasoline car
      • Maintenance cost of EVs are very low
    • EV Town initiative at Bloomington/Normal area
    • QwikTrip chargers
      • None currently in Champaign
    • We talked about possibly adding Solar Arc at Lincoln & Florida parking lot
      • I will look at the product and possibly ask SSC for funding in the future
    • We also talked about the people Robert has reached out to so far
    • EV-Go
    • Electrify America
    • Where to place a Fast Charger in Champaign-Urbana?
    • I will connect Robert with Gabe Lewis at CCRPC.

    Robert also provided some documents that were updated from last meeting with me (Introductory meeting with Robert O'Daniell)

    Attached Files: 

  10. Information on Electric Vehicles from Gabriel Lewis

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)

    The following is an email sent from Gabriel Lewis to Morgan White regarding EV research.

    Hi Morgan,

     

    I’m doing research for the local municipalities on Electric Vehicles (EVs), to start out with a literature review.

     

    Katie Simpson in Savoy mentioned that you/UIUC were starting discussions last fall about researching EVs as well.  I know it’s a broad topic, but are they any updates or information I should be aware of from the University side?


    I found a couple of relevant search results online:

     

    I think we’re most interested right now in how to provide sufficient charging infrastructure in buildings (via retrofits and requirements for new buildings) and in public places (streets, parking lots, municipal facilities, recreational facilities, etc.).

     

    Thanks,


    Gabe

  11. Introductory meeting with Robert O'Daniell

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase use of EVs and other Alternative Service Vehicles
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    I met with Robert O'Daniell on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. We covered several topics, including the electrification trend, Federal and State tax credits for EVs, but majority of the time was dedicated to learn about the EV charging stations in Champaign County as compared to other cities.

    Robert also shared his own experience as an EV owner and the survey he is currently conducting to gauge interest in increasing the number of public-use EV charging and possibility of introducing DC Fast Charging to the campus and Champaign County.

    I will create the survey on Google Forms, and then help deploy it on-campus. We also discussed where to promote this survey.

    See attached the documents that we covered during this meeting.

    Attached Files: 

  12. Update on Charging Stations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    From: Robert O'Daniell <rodaniell@att.net>
    Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2022 5:05 PM
    To: White, Morgan; Slezak, Paul
    Cc: DeLorenzo, Stacey; Prasad, Sarthak
    Subject: I guess I spoke too soon Re: I’m happy to report

    The ChargePoint locations at B4, D22 and E14 are all down. Disappeared from the ChargePoint app and will not charge. (Discovered Sunday noonish at E14 when I failed to begin charge. Standing beside the charger the App said no chargers nearby) Checked the other locations. All three locations have same message on the screen.

    Robert K. O'Daniell
    Photographer Emeritus-News-Gazette
    PO Box 2085
    Champaign, IL 61825
    217-352-1493

    Attached Files: 

  13. Update on Charging Stations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    From: Robert O'Daniell <rodaniell@att.net>
    Sent: Friday, February 25, 2022 1:43 PM
    To: White, Morgan; Slezak, Paul
    Cc: DeLorenzo, Stacey; Prasad, Sarthak
    Subject: I’m happy to report

    The chargers at B4 are back - showing up on the Where to Charge apps again. (Began Feb 24th)

    The damaged screen still not replaced at D22 ( supply chain issue ? )

    On an odd note in the last week or so – I failed in an attempt to charge at E14. Possibly a weather issue and there are indications that others have indeed charged. I have not yet tried again. Possibly a one time issue.

    During that attempt I became aware of some kind of issue with 3G on all three of those charging stations. ATT shut down Feb 22 and Verizon and T-mobile will both shut down 3G by the end of the year. All 3 ChargePoint locations indicate “Illini charging / Off network 1” and a warning message. I did drive by and cars are indeed charging at B4 and at D22 in spite of that message.

    ( images below )
    ——————
    As a retired person I’ve taken on the project of making it easier for people buy and transition to EVs. And to do what I can to improve the infrastructure needed for the EVs.

    Robert K. O'Daniell
    PO Box 2085
    Champaign, IL 61825
    217-493-8129

    Attached Files: 

  15. 11/18 Transportation SWATeam Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
    Encourage Telecommuting

    Attached are the meeting minutes and chat from the Zero Waste SWATeam meeting on 11/18.

    Discussed were the following topics:

    • Establishing a telecommuting/teleconferencing policy.
    • Discussing working with an interdisciplinary health intern in IHR to tackle research/application of teleconferencing/telecommuting policy and commuter program.
    • Establishing an EV Task Force through the Parking Department to re-assess campus EV needs.
    Attached Files: 

  16. Spring 2020 Project Deliverables

    Associated Project(s): 
    ENG 177 GFX Global Sustainability Scholars
    2014 Campus Bike Plan
    Develop Local Carbon Offset Program
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
    Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS)
    EPA SmartWay Affiliate
    Provide Centralized Communication about Sustainability

    Final Project Deliverables for Spring 2020

    There were 7 projects completed by the WIE-GFX Abroad Scholars in the Spring 2020 semester of ENG 177

    1. Armory Bike Path Restoration
    2. Study Abroad Carbon Offset
    3. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
    4. AASHE STARS Report 2020
    5. Food Waste
    6. Sustainability Best Practices Guide
    7. EPA SmartWay Program

  17. Kent Seminar Series- Kontou

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    The next Kent Seminar is set for Thursday, Feb. 13, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Illinois Center for Transportation, 1611 Titan Dr., Rantoul.  Eleftheria Kontou will present “Data-driven modeling of electric vehicle charging pricing and worth.” Pizza and soft drinks will be provided at noon. You can also watch the seminar live via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ukx7meG90

     

    1611 Titan Drive Rantoul, IL 61866

     

    Noelle Arbulu • Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

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