Plantation Street garage gets EV chargers

Published in June 2019

Funded by a $48,000 grant from National Grid, four new double-head Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are now operating on the first floor of the Plantation Street Garage.

The garage was built to accommodate EV charging, with conduits, wires and a dedicated electrical panel in place. The grant covered the cost of purchasing and installing new chargers. The new chargers provide eight spots for EV owners who participate in the school’s EV charging program.

To qualify to use the EV charging stations, vehicle owners must participate in the UMass Chan paid parking program. They don’t, however, have to be designated West or Plantation Street Garage parkers. EV drivers who want to use the chargers should visit the parking office in the West Garage to provide updated vehicle information and to get a charging sticker for their parking tag.

There is a mix of Level 1 and Level 2 chargers in the West Garage open to all EVs and three dedicated Tesla charging stations. All of the school’s EV charging stations are subject to the same policy and guidelines.

Use of the Level 2 chargers is divided into morning and afternoon time blocks. EVs that begin charging at any time in the morning must be moved between noon and 12:30 p.m. to open those spots for others to charge in the afternoons. Level 2 charging outlets can be used until the vehicle is fully charged or for a maximum of eight hours per day. After charging, all EVs must be moved to their regular parking area.

A ChargePoint account is only needed for the Pantation Street Garage

Enforcement of the EV guidelines is largely an honor system, though if people notice repeat violations, they are encouraged to report it to the parking office. For more information, or to report violations of the new EV guidelines, email the Parking and Access Control Office at Parking@umassmed.edu