Electric vehicle to stop at CLC during statewide road trip
A three-day electric vehicle road trip across Illinois will reach the College of Lake County on June 25, concluding a journey aimed at demonstrating advances in electric and hybrid vehicle technology.
The event is sponsored by the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN), a consortium of community colleges working to advance the state's green economy.
Media and community members are invited to attend a reception and information event on the road trip to be held at 4:30 p.m. on the lawn just east of CLC's Physical Education Center (Building 7) on the Grayslake Campus.
Local government officials who plan to attend the CLC event include State Senator Melinda Bush, State Senator Julie Morrison, State Representative Sam Yingling, Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor, Lake County Commissioner Steve Carlson and others.
According to IGEN organizers, the electric vehicle (EV) road trip is designed to celebrate the green network's successes in advancing EV infrastructure throughout Illinois and to promote further deployment of EV infrastructure by easing concerns of potential EV consumers.
"The electric vehicle has come a long way in just the last five years, but even as sales rise, some pesky problems persist," said Nate Keener, director of sustainability at Lewis and Clark College and lead organizer for the event. "Range anxiety and battery concerns, for example, continue to plague the mind of the potential electronic vehicle consumer. The fear of running out of charge and being stuck without a place to recharge keeps many people from purchasing. With this trip, we hope to chase away some of those fears and show that it actually is possible to drive great distances in electric and hybrid vehicles."
Ten community colleges are participating in the electric vehicle road trip, which begins Monday, June 23, at John A. Logan College in Carterville, the southernmost Illinois community college with an electric vehicle charging station. The tour will continue north over three days with a crew of two to four people who will rotate in and out of the car at strategic stops along the way.
The car will be staffed by community college sustainability professionals, students and/or
staff. Along the way, the road trip will stop at each participating college with an EV charge station.
The road trip is being supported by Chargepoint, Nissan and the Illinois Governor's and Lieutenant Governor's Offices. Governor Pat Quinn touts Illinois' leadership in the electric vehicle arena. "In the Midwest, Illinois is leading the charge for electric vehicle infrastructure. The State of Illinois has an estimated 4,928 registered plug-in cars and 450 public and private charging stations, including the densest network of fast charging stations in the United States. Our goal is to be home to the largest network of fast chargers in the nation. As our state and nation face rising gas prices, Illinois consumers are ready to embrace this common-sense, clean energy transportation option," Quinn said.
The road trip will have media events at participating colleges and other host sites on the following days:
June 23: John A. Logan College, 8 a.m. Featured speaker: Lt. Governor Sheila Simon; Southwestern Illinois College, 2:25 p.m.; Lewis and Clark Community College, 4:30 p.m. Featured speaker: Dr. Dale Chapman.
June 24: Governor's Mansion, Springfield, 10 a.m. Invited Speaker, Governor Pat Quinn; Heartland Community College, 2 p.m. Featured speaker, Normal Mayor Chris Koos.
June 25: Kankakee Community College, 8 a.m.; Prairie State College, 9:45 a.m.; Moraine Valley Community College, 11:40 a.m.; Triton College, 1:15 p.m.; Wilbur Wright College, 2:30 p.m.; College of Lake County, 4:30 p.m.
For more information about the EV road trip, contact Nate Keener, Director of Sustainability at Lewis and Clark Community College at (618) 468-2782 or nkeener@lc.edu. To learn more about the Illinois Green Economy Network, visit the IGEN website at www.igencc.org. For information about the CLC event, contact David Husemoller, sustainability manager, at (847) 543-2643 or dhusemoller@clcillinois.edu.
IGEN was launched in 2008 as a consortium of all 48 Illinois community colleges to encourage green campuses, curriculum, communities and careers. In support of the organization's work to grow the green economy in Illinois, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded a $19.37 million grant to 17 of the consortium's colleges to develop green training programs. The College of Lake County wrote the grant proposal and is the administrative agent for the grant.