Drive Electric Northern Colorado is encouraging students to take charge of electric vehicles and kick the future in gear toward a more eco-friendly environment.  

Leaders in the electric vehicle community spoke about the benefits of electric vehicles for students and employees while discussing upcoming initiatives at a press conference hosted by DENC Tuesday. The demand for electric vehicles around Fort Collins is continuing to grow, according to research and surveys from DENC.

Fort Collins was chosen to help raise awareness of electric vehicles across the United States by the Electrification Coalition. Guests of the conference emphasized that DENC and their partners are promoting electric vehicles to people outside of Northern Colorado.

“There are many different reasons for electrification, such as the efficiency in fuel savings and the innovation in advanced technology,” said Annie Freyschlag, DENC deployment community associate.

Community advocates for electric vehicles focused on DENC’s partnerships with various organizations in promoting the Workplace Charging Challenge. This encourages employers to join in the Plug-In Electric Vehicle movement and create additional opportunities to lead younger generations into the electric charging world.

Executive director of Facilities Management for CSU Steve Hultin said he appreciates the “power, the quietness, the comfort and the low cost and maintenance” of electric vehicles.  

Hultin said CSU currently has 14 charging stations on campus.

“We are very conscious of not over-building some inventory ahead of demand, but we have some resources to bring to the table,” Hultin said.

CSU Alternative Transportation manager Aaron Fodge said it is important to have frequent inspections of charging stations in order to avoid issues.

“Have some plan to inspect your chargers over time,” Fodge said. “We don’t want to find out that a station hasn’t been working for six months, all because of something that could have been a simple fix.”

The Climate Action Plan, passed by the City of Fort Collins, includes goals for achieving a 50 percent increase of PEVs on the road by 2030, according to Michelle Finchum, community outreach and engagement specialist with the City of Fort Collins. She said planning goals were passed unanimously by the Fort Collins City Council this year in order to make accommodations for the expected increase in electric vehicle owners.

“The volume of (electric vehicles) is amazing,” Hultin said. “I look forward to bringing (electric vehicles) more and more into the work force and into the customer parking.”

Collegian Reporter Pamela Shapiro can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @pb_shapiro.