CHARLOTTE -- UNC Charlotte's new "green” carts are friendly to the environment -- and the University’s wallet. UNCC recently purchased 20 new electric carts, bringing their total to more than 50. It’s a trend that’s catching on across the UNC System.

"I felt it was pretty important because here at the University, we're stewards first of all, and secondly, we set the example for the students graduating from the campus,” said Steve Terry, UNCC facilities management.

They're called electric utility carts. Right now, the University has 54 carts and plans to add 90 more. They are battery operated and can move up to about 51 mph.

"Our electricians use them, our carpenters, our painters, housekeepers, everybody on campus,” explained Larry Lane, UNCC motor fleet maintenance.

They're mostly driven from building to building across campus, but they're also street legal, licensed for roads with a 35 mph speed limit. Most importantly however, they are not dependent on oil.

"Just using these carts will save us over 900 gallons of gasoline this year,” Lane added.

That means they are saving the school money. Each old cart used between four and five gallons of gas a week. The new electric-powered ones cost $2 apiece to charge each week.

"We use that money more responsibly within our departments to create better buildings, better building interiors, better exteriors on our buildings,” Terry said.

The idea is catching on. UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. State and Appalachian State are among the schools following UNCC’s lead. They say they're driven to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

UNC Charlotte bought its first two electric-powered carts in 2005. The University also has 10 vehicles that run on 85 -percent ethanol and 27 low-emissions vehicles.