Helping Cal State Fullerton become a sustainability leader

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Tempo 2 plus 2 campus transportation vehicle

As part of our efforts to drive sustainability at colleges and universities nationwide, Club Car is partnering with our Sustainability Grant Program winner, California State University, Fullerton, as the school embarks on a journey toward greater sustainability. When selecting the school as the program winner (a prize that entitles it to a customized Carryall vehicle), we asked its team to think critically about what transportation means to campus-wide sustainability objectives.

Unsurprisingly, Cal State Fullerton has ambitious goals—and big ideas for the personal Carryall that will help meet them. Before digging into the plan to build a vehicle tailor-made for the university’s needs, here’s a review of the school’s sustainability initiative.

PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY, CAMPUS-WIDE

In 2014, California State University adopted a sweeping sustainability policy, one that mandates implementation of sustainable practices across all facets of university operations, including facilities, campus life, academics, and more. Naturally, sustainable transportation is critical to this policy and is part of what prompted the school to apply for the Club Car Sustainability Grant Program in 2019.

Reducing emissions, introducing hybrid and/or electric utility vehicles, and maximizing fleet productivity are high priorities for the university, and for those reasons (among others), a custom Carryall is an ideal solution.

TACKLING THE TOP PRIORITIES

One of Cal State Fullerton’s first priorities is to implement a food composting program on campus, which will divert more than 2,000 pounds of food waste weekly. Currently, the school works with a local waste hauling company to collect food waste and transport it to a local organics recycling facility, but the ultimate goal is a “closed loop” program, through which food waste will be collected from the Gastronome dining facility on campus and transported to the university’s arboretum for composting.

UTV for higher education campuses

To help meet this goal, Club Car will work with the university to design a Carryall vehicle that includes the necessary storage space to collect, haul, and dump this volume of food waste—one built with a suspension system and tires tough enough to handle the uneven terrain around the arboretum facility.

BUILDING A DURABLE, RUGGED VEHICLE

Cal State Fullerton needs a vehicle that checks all the boxes, starting with best-in-class durability. That’s why starting with a heavy-duty, highly durable vehicle like the Carryall is such an advantage. Even without customization, it’s designed to handle a variety of demanding applications and is engineered to automotive-grade standards.

The Carryall is outfitted with a rust-proof aluminum frame—the only one of its kind in the industry—plus an independent suspension system and rack-and-pinion steering, ensuring a smooth ride even when the vehicle is fully loaded. Considering how much food waste Cal State Fullerton is planning to move, this is a critical component.

One of Cal State Fullerton’s pain points with its current fleet of electric vehicles is that many don’t have the capability to handle tough jobs. It’s a concern we’re meeting head-on by designing a custom electric vehicle with Carryall capabilities.

UTV for higher education campuses

MAKING ALL-DAY COMFORT STANDARD

With demanding jobs comes the need for a comfortable ride that provides leg and lumbar support for the operator and passengers. That’s why Club Car will factor exceptional comfort into the design of Cal State Fullerton’s custom Carryall. It’s our goal that anyone using the vehicle not only has the right tool for the job, but also plenty of comfort to keep productivity high. Club Car will work directly with university stakeholders, including campus facilities staff, on a solution that fits everyone’s needs.

WORKING TOWARD EFFICIENCY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS

Cal State Fullerton needs a utility vehicle capable of performing many jobs around campus. On top of that, and perhaps most importantly, the school needs a vehicle that’s energy-efficient.

Regarding its current electric vehicles, university staff has said that the frequent need to replace or maintain batteries impacts not only financial costs but also labor costs as well. But  Carryall electric vehicles are designed for long, low-maintenance battery life—and with a new, custom electric vehicle, we can help Cal State Fullerton increase productivity and decrease downtime.

DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY, ONE STEP AT A TIME

You’ve read what Cal State Fullerton needs in a utility vehicle to reach its sustainability goals. In upcoming articles, we’ll detail how we plan to deliver a state-of-the-art, custom Carryall utility vehicle that supports those goals—as well as overall staff productivity and cost and energy savings.

Facing similar challenges with your utility vehicles? Ready to move your campus toward greater sustainability? Get in touch and we’ll start working on your Carryall solution right away.

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