Moving Forward: Exploring Sustainable Commute Solutions for ISTA
How can we make commuting to ISTA more environmentally friendly, and how will electrification influence this transition?
Together with ISTA students, we explored the environmental footprint of electric cars and assessed the infrastructure needed to support them on campus. We analyzed various electrification models and also examined the feasibility of converting the ISTA shuttle bus to an electric alternative.
Our findings show that while ISTA is well-positioned to support electric vehicles, the environmental benefits of switching to electric cars are relatively modest due to their high production footprint. In contrast, electrifying the ISTA shuttle buses could have a significantly greater impact. This is supported by successful case studies, such as the electric shuttle bus used at ETH. Furthermore, increasing the use of public transportation could help reduce overall traffic and ensure timely arrivals, even as the ISTA campus continues to grow.