A sustainable transportation initiative supported by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) has been piloting “Level 1” 120 V charge access for charging electric vehicles (EVs) in campus garages. These charging locations are enhanced AC outlets that measure voltage, current, and energy as vehicles charge gradually.

This project aims to make EV charging available on campus at the local electricity price, which is much cheaper than the price you’d pay at faster chargers. Conventional outlet-based charging is easy to install in new places and provides sufficient energy for most campus commuters. Users plug vehicles into boxes (as shown on the right) with their own 120 V charging cables.

Much of today’s EV charging infrastructure discussion emphasizes fast charging, in which a vehicle recovers roughly half of its battery capacity in 20 to 30 minutes. Sometimes these are called “Level 3” or “fast chargers.” Although fast, Level 3 infrastructure is expensive, costing upwards of $15,000 for each charging device and additional costs to add electrical capacity and connections. To cover these costs, users must pay high prices.

Less expensive are “Level 2” devices, which charge a typical EV battery in 2 to 3 hours. Level 2 devices are already deployed around campus, but these cost roughly $2,000 per unit, so users still need to pay a premium over the cost of electricity to recover equipment and installation costs.

This study focuses on Level 1 charging, which relies on ordinary 120 V AC outlets. Even though it would take many hours to fully recharge an EV battery this way, commuters who park their EVs all day are almost always able to cover their daily energy use with Level 1 charging. Ordinary outlets are cheap and easy to install, so these chargers could be deployed widely and charge users the retail cost of electrical energy.

Phase 2: Join iSEE’s Level 1 EV Charging Study!

As this study enters its second phase, your participation is wanted! In Phase 2, more charging boxes will be available in Lots B4, C4, C7, C10.

Participation in this study involves:

1. You will start by taking a short intake survey to supply your email address and answer brief questions.
2. You will receive an enrollment email that lets you download an app (for iOS or Android) and provides instructions and locations for the charging boxes.
3. When you want to charge your vehicle, you will use the app on your phone to “unlock” and turn on the charging box whenever you need to charge.
4. In September, charging will be free.
5. After September, you will pay using one of two plans: one is billed monthly and provides unlimited charging; the other pays per time unit. Prices are as yet undetermined but will be very low — close to the retail cost of electricity (about $0.12 per kWh at present).
6. During the Fall semester, you will receive, very occasionally, emails asking about your experience. Your response to them is optional.

After you enroll, you will be able to opt out at any time. Any vehicle with a permit that can charge from a conventional wall plug, whether a plug-in hybrid or full EV is invited to participate.

If you have questions or comments, please reach out: isee-evstudy@mx.illinois.edu.

Phase 1: Charging Boxes Installed and Collecting Data

In the first phase, the project team designed data collection hardware to obtain charging data for basic infrastructure charging, with emphasis on commuters holding parking permits and parking all day. The team worked with Campus Parking and Facilities & Services to support the deployment of this data collection capability in Lot B4, the North Campus Parking Structure, to gather initial data during the project’s first phase, while also providing free EV charging.

Read the full news release on Phase 1 here >>>

Project Team