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NEW EV “Smart” Charger – Student Engineering and Business Project

UTK Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program students, working in collaboration with KUB (Knoxville Utilities Board), and Seven States Power Corp, developed a campus level strategic plan to add a “smart” charger to the campus EV charger inventory.

Charging Rate
(revenue will pay for the utility cost, this is not a profit making endeavor)

  • $1.00 per hour for the first 4 hours
  • $2.00 per hour thereafter

Specific Restrictions

  • No charging 3am-6am
  • No overnight parking
  • Parking lot access restricted during special events

Project Benefits

Students will now have more data available, then be able to compile and report from the “smart” charger.

ChargePoint App

A major difference from the current chargers on the UT Knoxville campus, this charger will be accessed by setting up an account with ChargePoint on their app and paying the nominal fees.

Benefits:

  • Notification when your vehicle is done charging
  • Charging and payment with your phone
  • Easily find other EV charging stations

Here is how to use the app:

 

Here is how to use the new charger:

 

This project included a marketing, finance & accounting, and implementation team. The goal was to create a functioning business plan on a new charging station that would generate higher usage and more revenue in comparison to UT’s current charging stations.

The latest generation of ChargePoint commercial charging station was donated by Seven States Power Corp. for this project. ChargePoint is donating the network time and transferring the revenue to UT to cover the utility costs.

  1. The current proposal is to use only one (1) EV charging space initially in the Staff 7 lot next to Tickle Engineering.
  2. As opposed to all the existing chargers on campus, this new charger has advanced features that allows programming, etc., whereby usage and other data can be collected, compiled and reported. This was a central goal of the student project, i.e., add a “smart” charger to the campus EV charger inventory.
  3. Generally in the East Tennessee market, EV charging costs $1 per hour which basically covers the utility costs. Based on estimates $1/hour would likely cover the $2,700 annually in utilities charges.

Features include intelligent power management, provides dual port chargers, and is the first ENERGY STAR® certified EV charger because it charges efficiently and conserves power when not charging.

Note: All vehicles must be actively charging in order to occupy an EV space. Violators will be ticketed and subject to fines.