“The automotive industry is at a transformational crossroad,” MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. said in a press release. “It is exciting to see MSU chart this journey toward electrification and be part of a global solution to create a greener future – a fundamental principle of our 2030 strategic plan.”

In addition to the fleet, MSU increased its number of private charging stations to 50 for the possibility of university electric vehicle expansion. The university is also planning to install two fast-charging stations at the CATA Multimodal Gateway for public use by the end of the year.

Deputy spokesperson Dan Olsen said the fleet of vehicles brings MSU one step closer to achieving its goal of climate neutrality and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases by 50% by 2050 from its 2010 baseline. This plan will decrease MSU’s long-term carbon footprint by almost 18,945 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

“We already hit a lot of marks—in terms of being a sustainable institution,” Olsen said. “This really is about decreasing our carbon footprint, and in particular, once we've purchased all of the vehicles we intend to purchase—we'll be decreasing the university's carbon footprint.”