(From left): Stephen Bieda, Ontario Regional Director, Sun Country Highway, and Al Ross, supervisor, Parking Services at Brock, at the University’s recently installed electric vehicle charger by the main entrance to the International Centre

Next time you’re in the areas of St. Catharines or Thorold and the battery in your electric vehicle is running low roll into Brock University for a charge.

The University recently installed its first electric vehicle charger (EVC) by the main entrance to the International Centre at its east campus in St. Catharines, Ont.

The charging station, which was partially gifted to the University by Sun Country Highway, is available to students, staff, faculty, as well as local residents and visitors to Niagara. Sun Country is a Canadian-owned company that works to raise awareness about electric vehicle infrastructure and zero-emission transportation.

The Brock EVC is a 90 Amp unit that provides up to 90 kms of travel on a one-hour charge on select e-vehicles. The indicator light on the unit indicates the status of the charge – red means fully charged; green indicates that charging is in progress.

Users must have the appropriate license plate on their electric vehicle in order to use the parking spot to charge up. Brock permit holders can use the EVC at no additional fee. Non-permit holders can purchase parking at the nearby pay and display machine ($2.50/hour) for the duration of the time required to charge their vehicle.

“This is an example of Brock’s contribution to an environmentally responsible campus,” says Tom Saint-Ivany, Associate Vice-President, Facilities Management, and chair of the University’s Sustainability Co-ordinating Committee. “We’re always on the lookout for new tools and technologies to help make the University more sustainable.”

When Brock’s LEED Silver Certified International Centre was being constructed in 2009, North American automobile manufacturers were forecasting the production of electric vehicles within a couple of years. In response to this announcement the building was designed to accommodate future EVC stations.

“When the International Centre was built, we had a conduit installed for electric vehicle chargers,” says Larry Molnar, project manager at Brock. “This partnership with Sun Country and our Parking Services group was a great opportunity for us to plug into that potential for the benefit of both the Brock and Niagara communities.”

Sun Country also has an interactive EVC map on their site that driver’s can use to plot their emissions-free routes across the country.

“As a Brock University alumni, I am very proud to have been a part of supporting this key sustainable transportation initiative on campus to show to students, faculty and visitors that Brock is helping enable the new cleantech economy,” says Stephen Bieda, Ontario Regional Director, Sun Country Highway. “Electric vehicles are a pillar of the next industrial revolution – a sustainable revolution.”

According to the EV Charging Station Locator on the Canadian Automobile Association’s (CAA) website, the EVC at Brock is now one of five stations located in Niagara within 10 kms of the University.

Other electronic vehicle chargers located within close proximity to Brock:

• Brian Cullen Motors, 386 Ontario Street, St. Catharines (6.2kms)
• Best Western, North Service Road, St. Catharines (6.3kms)
• White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa, Niagara-on-the-Lake, 253 Taylor Road (7.6kms)
• Hilton Garden Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake, 500 York Road (8.2kms)