Could Cal State & WaiveCar create the car-sharing campus of the future?

Cal State Los Angeles has won a statewide award for its zero-emission vehicle sharing programme, carried out in partnership with local start-up, WaiveCar.

The university won the best practice award for sustainable transportation in the 2019 Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Best Practice Awards competition, which recognises achievements in energy efficiency and sustainability at colleges and universities across California.

The Cal State LA Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) vehicle sharing programme is a popular shared mobility initiative that includes 10 zero-emission WaiveCar Hyundai fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Each of these FCEVs is available for students, faculty and staff to use every day within a 30-mile radius of the university.

“Cal State LA continues to lead the way in introducing innovative alternative transportation options,” said Cal State LA President William A. Covino in a statement. “This award underscores our commitment to serving the public good through our sustainability initiatives.”

The programme allows people to leave their cars at home and take public transport without losing any of the convenience when they get to campus. Given the size of Cal State LA, getting to meetings, appointments and events can take time and often requires staff to travel significant distances.

Rather than take individual cars, people are now able to book the WaiveCar and share with their peers on trips around campus.

The scheme is a joint initiative between Parking and Transportation Services and the Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility – the first facility in the world to sell hydrogen fuel by the kilogram directly to consumers.

The pioneering facility generates fuel for hydrogen vehicles through the use of renewable energy resources. The vehicles only emit water vapour, making them one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport.

The cars come from WaiveCar, a new transportation system that connects users with ad-displaying electric cars for free.

The funds the company gets from the advertisers appearing on their vehicles enables them to keep costs down for the user. At the moment they are only operating in their home city of Los Angeles but have plans to expand across the United States.

They are just one tool in Cal State LA’s ever-growing mission to become fully sustainable.

The university has placed sustainability at the heart of everything they do, making a commitment to eradicate plastic and go green on campus.

They have set a goal of moving to 90 percent waste diversion by 2026 and zero waste by 2036. To achieve this, Cal State LA eliminated the availability of plastic straws and carryout bags in April and plans to eliminate single-use plastic on all 23 campuses by 2023. Styrofoam food service items will be phased out by 2021.