Document Type

Article

Abstract

This project aims to support the City of Terre Haute in expanding electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure using a comprehensive framework that integrates engineering feasibility, system safety analysis, engineering economy, and project risk management. Students evaluated multiple candidate locations across Terre Haute and developed recommendations aligned with the city’s sustainability goals and long-term mobility planning. Drawing on spatial discovery, stakeholder input, and technical analysis, five priority locations emerged from student evaluations: Walmart East (SR-46/I-70), Meijer on Margaret Drive, Honey Creek Mall/Haute City Center, ISU Lots 5 & 14, and Plaza North. These results are based on the aggregated student ranking data presented in the project poster. The five priority locations included two existing charging sites that served as validation benchmarks and three locations representing near-term expansion opportunities. Each site was assessed for land-use compatibility, accessibility, electrical grid capacity, and permitting feasibility, with emphasis on Level 2 (L2) charging readiness and constraints related to DC fast charging installations. Students compared installation and operational costs and analyzed trade-offs between initial investment, safety requirements, and potential community benefits. A system safety analysis identified at least five risk categories, including technical failures, operational hazards, permitting and regulatory barriers, financial uncertainties, and safety-critical events such as electrocution or charging-station fire. Teams applied Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), Event Tree Analysis (ETA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) methods to model one key hazard scenario and propose mitigation strategies consistent with system-level safety principles of redundancy, prevention, and human factors engineering. Findings support prioritizing high-feasibility, high-demand commercial corridors, complemented by campus-oriented charging to serve the ISU community. Recommendations emphasize cost-effective deployment, safety-centered design, equitable access, and long-term grid resilience. The resulting analysis provides Terre Haute with evidence-based guidance for expanding clean-energy infrastructure in alignment with United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals related to clean energy (SDG 7), resilient infrastructure (SDG 9), and sustainable cities (SDG 11).

Publication Date

Fall 12-1-2025

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