Three undergraduate researchers advised by CEE assistant professor Eleftheria Kontou have won the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) Planning & Policy Undergraduate Group Award. The students, Anushka Guatam, Aarya Patel and Xingrui Pei, received the award for their research analyzing electric vehicle charging infrastructure on the University of Illinois campus. Learn more>>
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Xingrui Pei, Aarya Patel and Anushka Gautum.
Three undergraduate researchers advised by CEE assistant professor Eleftheria Kontou have won the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) Planning & Policy Undergraduate Group Award. CUTC presents the student group awards annually to the best group paper submission on the topics of planning & policy or science & technology.
CEE students Anushka Gautam and Aarya Patel, with Department of Statistics student Xingrui Pei, received the award for their research on electric vehicle charging on the University of Illinois campus. Through analyzing survey data sent to U of I students, staff, faculty and alumni, as well as session data from on-campus public chargers, they discovered certain preferences and tendencies that could help inform practical expansion of EV infrastructure on campus.
The group’s research showed that survey respondents who own EVs predominantly charge at home during the evening and night hours, and that 55% of this sub-group of respondents have never used on-campus charging opportunities. Of those who do charge on campus, their sessions varied widely by length and location. Charging at the north B4 parking structure on average lasted 3.22 hours, while charging at parking lot E-15, located south of campus near Gies Memorial Stadium, averaged 2.53 hours.
Average charging session length at the north campus B4 parking deck on the University of Illinois campus.
Both of these charging spots are located on the far edges of campus, however survey respondents expressed willingness to move their vehicles after charging is completed. This suggests that well-designed incentives or notification systems could substantially improve charger turnover and the effective use of campus charging infrastructure.
The team also uncovered several factors related to charging infrastructure and policy that could encourage current fossil-fueled vehicle drivers to make to switch to EVs , some of which included more ubiquitous public charging, lower EV sticker prices, rebates or tax credits, and greater fuel and energy savings.
Along with Kontou, the students were also mentored by Kontou group alumna Dr. Denissa Purba. They will be recognized for their award during the CUTC Awards Banquet on January 10, 2026 in Washington D.C.