U student says there’s no place to plug in his electric car

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – University of Utah student Rodrigo Sagebin leased the all electric Nissan Leaf with the impression that his University would support his car with a plug in station, but he was mistaken.

A University official sent him an email after an extension cord was discovered running from his West University Apartment building to his car.

“I got a couple of emails from the facilities manager, ‘Hey we’re going to charge you $30 every time you get caught doing this.” Sagebin recalls.

He says this is a problem. The nearest charging station is more than a mile away at the Trolley Square Mall and he has a wife and child to spend time with when he’s not working as a student.

Sagebin asked the school for help, but the response has been discouraging.

Director of Commuter Services Alma Allred says running an extension cord to a car is a tripping hazard and Utah law forbids the University from selling power.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo is left to either break school policy or drive more than a mile to charge his car.

Allred said school leaders will construct a policy to address this problem by the first of the year.