Ride and Drive for a Sustainable Future

       

Northeastern University just took another step in establishing a pathway toward a more sustainable future, and Facilities Management at Northeastern is helping to pave that road. Mass EV Experience Expo, an event focused on electric vehicles (EVs) and the necessary infrastructure, took place at Mathews Arena parking lot on Thursday, July 22nd. This expo was led by Advanced Energy Group (AEG) and hosted by Northeastern University with the sole goal of accelerating the electrification of transportation within the city of Boston and beyond. Northeastern is determined to maintain its rank as one of the leading organizations in promoting energy advancement throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

The event presented a fantastic opportunity for the public to directly communicate with industry experts, learn more about the EV market and take presented vehicles for a spin around the block.

 

 

To kick the event into gear, Maria Cimilluca, Vice President for Facilities at Northeastern University, announced the significant sustainability-related developments that will take place on Northeastern’s Boston campus.

 

Maria stated that the transformation toward a more electrified campus is planned to be completed within the next five years. That transition includes adding twenty more charging stations for electric vehicles to accommodate the growing demand as more people start to use them and the installation of the necessary infrastructure, which is already underway. There are currently several charging spots for electric vehicles installed around campus.  

 

Another significant initiative to electrify campus includes transitioning the Facilities Management Transportation fleet to  100% electric vehicles.

That is precisely what Robert Middendorf, Director of Transportation for Facilities Management at Northeastern University, and his team are working to achieve. This ambitious goal has already been started with the procurement of several electric GEM e4 club cars and twenty-five electric carts that help staff members get around campus faster and provide much greater flexibility when facility-related incidents occur.    Robert also mentioned that club carts are not the only target on his team’s radar. Some of the other vehicles could potentially include passenger vans and pick-up trucks.

Maria emphasized that Northeastern is proud to be a part of the group of organizations advancing the change in the name of sustainability. Northeastern is actively working on mitigating the impact of fossil fuels by pushing for energy advancement and using its Arboretum to mitigate the urban heat island effect within our campus. Maria also mentioned that Northeastern University is fully committed to making its on-campus fleet fully electrical.

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in participating in similar events that take place on Northeastern’s campus in Boston, follow Northeastern’s Office of Sustainability on social media to learn more about upcoming sustainability-related events on our campus.

 

 

Written by Alex Gritsinin – July 26th, 2021
Photos by Christine Jones and Russell Zingler