Sun-Powered Driving

August 7, 2019
Sun-Powered Driving

Columbia continues to lower its carbon emissions by increasing EV charging spots by 50% and increasing the preferred parking for EVs by 300%!

To make it more practical and affordable for our employees to transition to sustainable electric transportation:

  • Columbia now offers 6 EV charging spots and 12 EV preferred parking spots.
  • Columbia continues to provide free charging for employees and visitors with the caveat that EVs must be moved when charging is complete, to make room for other EV drivers needing to charge.
  • Columbia will also review adding jobsite EV charging upon request to determine feasibility.

Why is the transition to EVs important?

  • 34% of US Carbon emissions come from transportation related burning of fossil fuels
  • Sustainable transportation requires the transition to electrified driving plus renewable energy
  • The 87 kW Solar PV array at Columbia’s headquarters generates approximately 105,000 kWhs/year. Over the past year, the 8 EVs at our headquarters used only 12,055 kWhs, or about 11% of the clean renewable energy generated from the Solar PV!
  • Even if you are not charging from renewable energy and instead charging on the local grid, EV drivers in MA using grid energy emit 72% less CO2e and NH EV drivers emit 90% less CO2e, compared to gasoline vehicles!

Please consider an EV for your next vehicle and lower our collective carbon emissions and improve our air quality. And please formally request that your workplaces add PV and EV car charging to their buildings!