Temple University students get Chevy Volts
Back in my day we rode the subway or warily parked on the campus streets. Now, Philadelphia's Temple University students have can rent electric cars by the hour and plug in at the college.
On Wednesday, the university and Philly Car Share (formerly a non-profit that was acquired by rental giant Enterprise Holdings) announced the installation of two charging stations at Temple's main campus. Students will be able to rent Chevy Volts for US$7.50 an hour or $52 a day.
This should go over well. Philly Car Share became popular with students shortly after I graduated from the Fox School of Business. There are no supermarkets or major shopping centers near the Temple's main campus, which is located in the heart of one of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in the country.
The partnership generates good PR for Temple, which has committed to reducing energy consumption by 25 percent over the next two years. I'm pleased to hear it that, because reducing energy consumption could yield funds that could be reallocated back to the student body in the midst of draconian state budget cuts.
Temple's mascot is an owl for a reason: many of its early students were working people who took night classes to better their lot in life. That ethos has endured, and part of the university's mission is to help people who come from humble means to achieve their potential.
Energy conservation is good for society, the sustainability of Temple's campus, and can be another means to that end - even if it helps just a little.
(Photo credit: Elizabeth Manning)
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