Item 6-E

Santa Monica, California

Council Meeting: May 25, 1999

 

To: Mayor and City Council

From: City Staff

Subject: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute or Amend Lease Agreements for Four Electric Vehicles, Battery Chargers and Installation Purchase Costs Totaling $85,800 and Affirm an Exemption to the Burma Policy

 

Introduction

This report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute or amend three-year lease agreements with Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. for three (3) 1999 Toyota RAV4EV vehicles and General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) for one 1998 Chevrolet S-10 Electric Pick-up truck. These electric vehicles will be used by the City=s Transportation and Fire Departments. An exemption to Council Resolution No. 8966 (CCS), AEstablishing a Policy for the City of Santa Monica Prohibiting Contracts for Personal Services and Purchase of Commodities Doing Business in or with Myanmar (Burma)@ is also requested. Each vendor is the sole provider of each vehicle type.

The total cost to lease these vehicles for three years with one-time lease payments, purchase and installation of the charging systems is $85,800.

Background

The Transportation and Fire Departments are in the process of replacing older gasoline powered automobiles, which are used for on-street supervision in the Transportation Department, and by Fire Inspectors in the Fire Department. Both Departments will be evaluating the operating performance, reliability and other impacts involved with operating electric cars for these services.

Staff has confirmed that all of the electric vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Honda, Toyota and General Motors) conduct business with Burma, which leaves the City with no other electric vehicle options. Exemptions to the Burma Policy are therefore necessary so that the City=s use of zero emission electric vehicles can proceed.

Discussion

Although the recommended Council action involves exemptions to an established Council policy on companies which do business with the military government of Burma, the procurement of electric vehicles is consistent with the City Council adopted reduced emission fuels policy and the Council adopted Sustainable City Program. Staff believes that the significance of the City=s commitment to clean fuel technologies should take precedence over the Burma policy in this specific instance.

Use of electric vehicles by Big Blue Bus Supervisors and Fire Department Fire Inspectors will allow the City to test the performance, utility and versatility of zero-emission electrical vehicle benefits for the City.

The Toyota RAV4EV and the Chevrolet S10 were selected for two main reasons, and those reasons are:

  1. There are different types of battery charging systems available for electric vehicles. The Transportation Department has a Saturn EV1 that use an inductive battery charging system. To stay consistent with the existing battery charger and to add the convenience of additional chargers for use by Transportation and the Fire Department as well as other City Departments, we recommend using vehicles that have inductive type battery charging system.

  2. The vehicles being recommended were tested in service and found to best fit the needs of the Departments.

Budget/Financial Impact

All Original Equipment Manufactured (O.E.M.) electric vehicles are currently available through lease option only, the cost of which includes all vehicle maintenance. Electric vehicle chargers will be purchased for four vehicles, three installed at the Transportation Department facilities and one installed at Fire Station 5. The cost of the four chargers is separate from the lease price. Installation costs for three of the chargers are included in this staff report. The charger for the Fire Department will be installed by City staff. Cost for the four vehicles, four chargers and installation of three of those chargers, totals $85,800.

Funds for the lease agreements are available in the following accounts:

Account Number: Amount:
41-750-657-20099-8900-99115 $65,800
54-730-313-20099-8900-99167 $20,000

Recommendation

Staff recommends that Council authorize the City Manager to execute or amend the following lease agreements for four electric vehicles, battery chargers and installation purchase costs totaling $85,800 and affirm an exemption to the Burma Policy, listed below:

  1. Three lease agreements with Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. for three 1999 Toyota RAV4EV sport utility vehicles for three years, at a total cost of $54,000.

  2. Tne lease agreement with General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) for one 1999 Chevrolet S-10 Electric Pick-up truck at a total cost of $18,000.

  3. Purchase and installation of battery chargers from Edison EV at a total cost of $13,800.

Prepared by:
John B. Catoe, Transportation Department Director
Patrick H. Butters, Transit Maintenance Manager