Lane Community College (LCC) has been awarded a $30,000 grant from Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) to fund the purchase of the first electric vehicle (EV) in its motor pool fleet. The grant is part of EWEB’s annual Electric Mobility Grant program, which supports local nonprofits, academic institutions, and public organizations in adopting electric transportation solutions.
LCC’s motor pool currently consists of 14 vehicles, including seven sedans and seven passenger vans, none of which are electric. With the new grant, LCC added its first electric sedan to the fleet, which is available for faculty and staff travel for work-related trips. LCC aims to promote the adoption of electric vehicles through leadership by example.
“We've been wanting to go with an EV for a while to get started using the technology for our staff travel, but we were not able to fund it,” said Luis Maggiore, LCC’s Sustainability Coordinator. “Thanks to the grant, we were finally able to get one electric vehicle in the motor pool.”
This marks the second electric mobility grant awarded to LCC by EWEB. In 2022, the college received a $25,000 grant to support the installation of a dual pedestal Level 2 charging station on its main campus. The new EV will utilize the charging station while also serving as a visible example of LCC’s commitment to sustainable transportation.
“We previously applied for the grant with EWEB and were able to install the charging station with partial funding. In 2024, we applied again and secured $30,000 to help purchase an electric vehicle,” Maggiore explained. “So now, the charger we installed can support the EV in our motor pool, and the extra charger is available for public use by visitors to campus.”
The EWEB Electric Mobility Grant program, launched in 2022, provides up to $30,000 per recipient to cover 100% of eligible costs related to electric transportation projects. This year, EWEB received seven proposals and awarded grants to five organizations, including Cascadia Mobility, Looking Glass Community Services, Pacific Refugee Support Group, Shift Community Cycles, and Lane Community College. The grant committee evaluated applications based on feasibility, use of funds, innovation, social equity, and community benefits.
As LCC continues its sustainability efforts, the college is also updating its Climate Action Plan to Version 2.0 and working on a decarbonization study for its central plant. “This is one of our most exciting projects right now—figuring out how to decarbonize our central plant as part of our broader goal of achieving carbon neutrality,” said Maggiore.
For more information about LCC’s sustainability initiatives, visit lanecc.edu/sustainability.
Lane Community College educates over 15,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $675 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 8,900 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.