A quiet transformation has begun on the College Park campus as 51 distinctive vehicles - 25 vans, 23 pickups, and three SUVs - begin circulating the campus grounds. They are the first fully electric vehicles (EVs) in the Facilities Management (FM) fleet, part of a one-year pilot project, and an important step toward President Pines’ goal of a fully electric fleet by 2035.
Initiated by Facilities Management (FM) and implemented by Fleet Services and Operations, this project will allow the study of all aspects of the switch to EVs - from battery life to charging infrastructure to maintenance - and apply that experience to the electrification of the entire university fleet.
Charging infrastructure is key to the EV conversion. Charging units have been installed at the Severn Building, which will be the home base for the EV pilot project’s fleet. Three of the vehicles will also be included in UMD’s rental fleet for evaluation by additional users. All are built by Ford, which partnered with FM on the installation of charging stations and the training of service technicians.
This important pilot helps position the university for the transition to a 100% electric vehicle fleet, a process that will take place over the coming years. A second EV initiative, a campus infrastructure study, is underway and will result in an EV transition and infrastructure plan for the entire fleet and the campus. In addition to FM’s Fleet Services and Energy & Engineering teams, the Department of Transportation Services (DOTS) will partner on this study.
A collection of the new EVs is currently in use around campus, while others await outfitting that includes the addition of shelving, bins, racks, and truck-bed caps for pickups. As more electric vehicles are acquired, gas-powered vehicles are retired (sold through Terrapin Trader or returned to the leasing company). The new electric vehicles are easily recognizable by their colorful graphic wrap. Look for FM’s new electric vehicles at a campus work site near you!