Electric Vehicle Charging at UCSC

UCSC is pleased to offer both Level 2 and Level 1 charging options at various campus locations for the convenience of our campus affiliates and visitors. Please see detailed information below about permit requirements, charger availability and payment requirements for each area as they may differ by site. 

During enforcement hours, you must display a valid parking permit for the lot you are charging in. Please note that only A and B permits are valid in Core West EV chargers. All vehicles with R, C, and FSH permits must now charge in the East Remote lot on the residential (main) campus or the Seymour Center ParkMobile space at the Coastal Science Campus.

Please note that power to the EV Chargers on campus may be affected by larger grid issues due to wind, fire, heat, and other power shortages. Please be patient and report any outages you see to taps@ucsc.edu or to Chargepoint via their app. 

Parking lots and structures may be located on the Campus Parking Map

Level 2 Charging at UCSC

Locations of Level 2 Chargers

Core West Parking Structure (Lot# 112)
A, B permits required during enforcement hours.

• 1st Floor: Nine (9) charging portals, with one accessible site – must be actively plugged in and charging at all times in these spaces
• 6th Floor: Two (2) charging portals – one ADA van accessible charging space and one EV Preferred charging portal

East Remote Parking Lot (Lot# 104)
Any valid campus parking permit required during enforcement hours. Must be plugged in and actively charging.

• Four (4) Level 2 charging portals as EV Preferred spaces

Arts (Lot# 126)
A, B permits required during enforcement hours.

• Two (2) Level 2 charging portals, must be actively plugged in and charging at all times in these spaces

Fire House (Lot# 156)
A, B permits required during enforcement hours.

• Two (2) Level 2 charging portals, must be actively plugged in and charging at all times in these spaces

Coastal Science Campus
Valid A or B permits required during enforcement hours.

• Coastal Biology Building (Lot# 205):
  Six (6) charging portals including one ADA van accessible charging space
• Seymour Center Parking Lot (Lot# 201)
  Two charging portals including one van accessible space. 
  Parking payment through ParkMobile; charging paid through Chargepoint.

Level 2 Charging Operations

The chargers, available first-come, first-served, are provided as a convenience for electric vehicle drivers and are not intended to be the primary charging location for anyone that does not reside on campus. Users must be plugged in and/or actively charging while parked in a Level 2 UCSC EV Charging Space unless noted as an EV Preferred parking space.  Once charging is complete, vehicles should be moved to an appropriate parking lot and/or parking space, depending on the type of permit displayed on the vehicle.

Level 2 chargers are part of either the Chargepoint or JuiceBox (Enel) network and a fee of $0.25/kWh while charging and $1/kWh idle time will be collected for active charging and while plugged in. There is currently no time limit for how long a vehicle can be plugged in, but in the future a time limit may be implemented based on demand.

“EV Preferred Locations”: Four (4) Level 2 charging portals in East Remote and one Level 2 charging portal on the 6th Floor of Core West are available for charging but any vehicle may park in these parking spaces as they are not reserved for EV charging only.  We ask that other vehicles yield these spaces for plug-in vehicles if other parking is available.  This allows for more flexibility during times of high demand.

Level 1 Charging at UCSC

Locations of Level 1 Charging Portals

Core West Parking Structure (Lot# 112)
A, B permits required during enforcement hours.

Please Note: Beginning April 5, those with an R, C, or FSH permit must now charge in the East Remote lot or the Seymour Center lots at the Coastal Campus

• 6th Floor: Three (3) charging portals – EV Preferred spaces

East Remote Parking Lot (Lot# 104)
Any valid campus parking permit required during enforcement hours.

• Forty (40) Level 1 charging portals as EV Preferred spaces

Level 1 Charging Operations

• For Level 1 (120V) Electric Vehicle Charging, you must provide your own cable. Secure your cable while it’s in use. UCSC, their officers, employees or agents are not liable for theft or damage to personal property, including charging cords.
• Unauthorized Level 1 charging is not permitted and may result in citation.
• Avoid placing your cable where it might create a pedestrian hazard.
• “EV Preferred Locations”: All Level 1 charging portals are available for charging but any vehicle may park in these parking spaces as they are not reserved for EV charging only.  We ask that other vehicles yield these spaces for plug-in vehicles if other parking is available.  This allows for more flexibility during times of high demand.

How to Pay for Level 1 Charging

To use the Level 1 outlets in either Core West (6th Floor) or East Remote Lot, you must display a valid parking permit for that lot during enforcement hours; in addition, as a condition of use, you must also pay for the electricity charges via the ParkMobile application at all times while plugged in.  

• Patrons with a valid UCSC parking permit pay for power only through ParkMobile. Please note that an A or B permit is required to park/charge in Core West during enforcement hours.
• Visitors to UCSC must purchase a parking permit through the Sales Office and then pay for power through ParkMobile.
• The rate for Level 1 charging is $1 for each 4 hours ($.25 per hour)
• Unauthorized Level 1 charging at any UCSC parking facility is not allowed; violators will be cited.

Parking Permit Required

During enforcement hours (7:00am–8:30pm, Monday–Friday), users who are actively charging or plugged in at an EV charging station must display a valid UCSC parking permit (e.g., A, B, C, O, R).

Please note that only A and B permits are valid in the Core West Parking Structure and Coastal Biology Building EV chargers. All vehicles with R, C, and FSH permits must charge in the East Remote lot or in the Seymour Center ParkMobile charging space.

One-day visitor permits may be purchased at the Main Entrance Kiosk (Monday–Friday, 7:00am–1:00pm) or at the TAPS Sales Office (Monday–Friday, 7:00am–5:00pm). The Sales Office is located in the H Barn near the base of campus [map of both locations]

If using a Limited Day or Scratch-Off permit type, the permit must be valid for the day it is being used. After 3:00 pm, users with an N permit may park and actively charge at EV spaces; after 4:30 pm, users with NC permits may charge in EV spaces in Core West.

Electric Motorcycles, Motor-Driven Cycles, and other Devices

Only electric vehicles requiring DMV registration to operate on streets or highways are eligible to use EV charging stations on the University as long as all other posted parking requirements are met. This includes any street-legal motorcycle, or motor-driven cycle requiring DMV registration. No other electric vehicles or devices are authorized to utilize EV charging stations at the University, unless specifically designated.

Accessible EV Charging
Accessible EV charging is available in the Core West Parking Structure or the Coastal Science Campus as noted above.

Other Santa Cruz County Charging Options
Additional electric vehicle charging stations have recently been installed in the greater Santa Cruz Area. Interested individuals can find a listing of those locations at the following sites:

• www.chargepoint.com
• www.plugshare.com

Let Us Know Who You Are
If you would like to add your name to a list of known UCSC EV Users for notification of future power shutdowns or any changes to the electric vehicle chargers or policies, email taps@ucsc.edu.

Detailed Information About How To Use EV Chargers
Information on how to operate the EV charging stations, what to do if a charging station is not working, and other related information is available on the EV Charger FAQ page of the TAPS website.