The voice of De Anza since 1967.

La Voz News

Advertisement
The voice of De Anza since 1967.

La Voz News

The voice of De Anza since 1967.

La Voz News

La Voz ad
De Anza budget cuts and DASG’s role in supporting the school
FHDA community shares concerns about college safety

FHDA community shares concerns about college safety

June 25, 2023

Incoming chancellor announces plans for the district

Incoming chancellor announces plans for the district

June 10, 2023

District board overturns Measure G megaprojects and establishes timeline for spending decisions

District board overturns Measure G megaprojects and establishes timeline for spending decisions

June 9, 2023

View All
New adventures at UCLA
ISP’s first in-person year-end celebration after pandemic

ISP’s first in-person year-end celebration after pandemic

June 28, 2023

ESL students share talents at spring celebration

ESL students share talents at spring celebration

June 28, 2023

Graduates get creative for ‘grad cap decorating’

Graduates get creative for ‘grad cap decorating’

June 27, 2023

View All
Double-sided printing should be cheaper
Opinion: Give athletes a voice and bring back Coach Mattis

Opinion: Give athletes a voice and bring back Coach Mattis

July 1, 2023

Ghost students create rigged system for community colleges

Ghost students create rigged system for community colleges

June 27, 2023

Rising costs of textbooks weigh students down

Rising costs of textbooks weigh students down

June 12, 2023

View All
‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’: Extraordinary box office success
Netflix’s new hit series ‘XO, Kitty’ shines with cultural diversity

Netflix’s new hit series ‘XO, Kitty’ shines with cultural diversity

June 16, 2023

DA Voices: What project are you working on?

DA Voices: What project are you working on?

June 16, 2023

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’: Marvel’s best movie since ‘Endgame’?

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’: Marvel’s best movie since ‘Endgame’?

May 23, 2023

View All

What is going on with the electric car charging stations?

What+is+going+on+with+the+electric+car+charging+stations%3F

Near a cage of humming utility boxes at a western edge of De Anza College’s Parking Lot B, 19 signs label 19 parking spaces as electric vehicle charging stations.
But about 16 months after the signs went up, Parking Lot B has exactly zero chargers.
In fact, access to the only such charger on campus is restricted to De Anza’s automotive technology department.
Why spend money on electric car chargers instead of improving class availability or teacher salaries?
 And aren’t there too few electric cars to make the chargers necessary, or even useful?
It’s easy enough to label the charger-less charging stations as a boondoggle that wastes money and inconveniences drivers through the loss of parking spaces.
But the charging stations are in fact signs of the district embracing a burgeoning environmentally conscious technology.
First, there are no electric vehicle-only parking restrictions for those spots.
“Anyone with a standard student or staff permit can park there until the equipment is installed and the policies are changed,” said Chief Ron Levine of the Foothill-De Anza Police Department.
Tom Armstrong, the director of bond construction for the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, said that  “The charging stations will be installed in early February.”
Funds for the charging stations and the nearby canopy of solar panels came from Measure C, Armstrong said.
The 2006 bond measure provided only for district-wide repairs, upgrades and construction, according to the measure’s ballot language.
The district can not legally spend the money on school operating costs or divert it towards the student body.
“Furthermore the district already paid for the charging stations and their infrastructure,” said Armstrong. They were already included in the solar panel project’s construction costs.
But won’t the charging stations be impractical given the tiny population of electric vehicles?
After all, they accounted for only 0.4 percent of nationwide automobile sales between Jan. 2012 and Nov. 2012, according to an article in Forbes.
However, electric cars have a bright future.
The number sold in the U.S. tripled between 2011 and 2012, according to analysis by Green Car Reports.
The automotive technology department is preparing its students for this future.
“A 2012 grant supplied the department’s charger as well as a solar array and a Chevrolet Volt,” said Randy Bryant, the head of the Auto Tech department.
The increasing consumer interest is likely driven by substantial refueling (or recharging) cost savings, he said.
But aren’t electric cars too expensive for students?
“Have you seen the parking lot?” Bryant replied. “There are a lot of nice cars in the parking lot.”
Opinions on the empty charging stations generally reduce to one of two narratives.
Some cynics would say an overzealous district administration squandered money on a project few will use once completed.
The second narrative comes from optimism for the future of electric cars: the if-you-build-it-they-will-come mentality.
However several staff members already express interest in the charging stations, Armstrong said.
Anxious to recharge, some resort to unsanctioned power sources.
Apparently demand exists now.
And as California’s charging infrastructure improves and electric cars become cheaper, we will see more of them in De Anza’s parking lots.
 

Story continues below advertisement
Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

La Voz Weekly intends this area to be used to foster healthy, thought-provoking discussion. Comments should be respectful and constructive. We do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks or language that might be interpreted as defamatory. La Voz does not allow anonymous comments, and requires a valid name and email address. The email address will not be displayed but will be used to confirm your comment.
All La Voz News Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest