SR 04-18-2017 3E
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : April 18, 2017
Agenda Item: 3.E
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Susan Cline, Director , Public Works, Street & Fleet Services
Subject: Bid Award for the Purchase of 17 Good Earth FireFly Electric Vehicles
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award Bid #425 9 to ev Transportation Services, Inc., a Massachusetts -based
company, for the purchase and delivery of 17 Good Earth Fire F ly Electric
Vehicles ;
2. Authorize the Purchasing Services Manager to issue a purchase order with ev
Transportation Services, Inc. for the purch ase and delivery of 17 Good Earth
Fire F ly Electric Vehicles in an amount not to exceed $837,747 for one year .
Executive Summary
This purchase would replace 17 vehicles that have reached the end of their cost -
effective useful lives in the Park Maintenance and Promenade section s of the Public
Landscape Division through the Vehicle Replacement Program. In January 2017 , the
City solicited bids for the purchase of 13 Good Earth FireF ly Electric Vehicles with the
option to purchase up to five additional vehicle s at the same price, terms, and
conditions . Since the bid, staff identified four other vehicles used by the Public
Landscape Division that had reached the end of their cost effective life. Staff
recommends ev Transportation Service s , Inc., as the best and only bidder for the
purchase and delivery of 1 7 Good Earth FireF ly Electric Vehicles with customized dump
bed for a total amount not to exceed $837,747 for one year . This purchase meets the
goals of the City’s Reduced -Emissions Fuels Policy by utilizing vehicles powered by
electricity .
Discussion
The City replaces vehicles that have reached the end of their cost -effective useful life
based on age, mileage, and repair history in accordance with the Vehicle Replacement
Program. This purchase would replace 1 7 vehicles in the Park Maintenance and
Promenade Maintenance section s of the Public Landscape Division with three -wheeled
Good Earth FireFly Electric Utility Vehicles with dump beds . The existing vehicles have
a cost -effective useful life span of six yea rs based on industry standards , utilization , and
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the environment in which they are operated , with the exception of one electric Ford
Ranger pickup truck . The existing vehicles which would be replaced are four -wheeled
Miles Electric Utility Vehicles which w ere purchased in 2008 and are 9 years old , with
the exception of one electric Ford Ranger pickup truck .
A total of 13 vehicles were approved for replacement and included in the original formal
bid solicitation. Additional Purchases language for up to fiv e additional vehicles was
included in case additional vehicles of the same type were approved for replacement
during the formal bid process. Since the bid, f our additional vehicles used by the Public
Landscape Division , to maintain various parks throughout the city and to maintain the
Downtown District, reached the end of their cost -effective useful life and were approved
for replacement on March 7, 2017 by the Director of Public Works.
Vehicle Data
The vehicle data table below shows the vehicle unit numb er, model year, cost -effective
useful life, age, replacement fiscal year, original cost, total maintenance cost over the
life of the vehicle, and the percentage of the original cost that the maintenance cost has
reached.
Replacing
Unit(s) Year
Cost -
Effect ive
Useful Life
Age Replacement
F iscal Y ear
Original
Cost
Total
Maintenance
Cost
%
16210 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $24,504 $18,100 74%
16211 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $25,327 $30,520 121%
16212 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $24,504 $19,963 81%
16213 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $24,504 $21,611 88%
16214 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $25,327 $31,202 123%
16215 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $24,504 $42,845 175%
16216 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $24,504 $44,914 183%
16217 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $24,504 $30,419 124%
16218 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $25,327 $24,372 96%
16219 200 8 6 9 FY14/15 $24,504 $15,617 64%
16220 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $24,504 $27,645 113%
16221 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $25,327 $30,590 121%
16222 2008 6 9 FY14/15 $25,327 $25,143 99%
20185 2009 6 8 FY14/15 $12,920 $22,353 173%
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20186 2009 6 8 FY14/15 $12,920 $21,099 163%
20187 2009 6 8 FY14/15 $12,920 $48,279 374%
*16297 2009 12 8 FY20/21 $98,812 $11,847 12%
*Unit 16297 is a 2009 Electric Ford Ranger Pickup Truck. High original cost is due to
the cost to retrofit an unleaded Ford Ranger to an electric Ford Ranger. The unit will no
longer hold a charge long enough to transport staff from one location to another and is
almost never used. This has negatively affected the efficiency of Park Maintenance’s
day -to -day operations. In addition, Ford and the subc ontractor no longer provide repair
and part support for this unit.
Example of a Good Earth FireFly Three -Wheel ed Electric Utility Vehicle with Dump Body
Of the 17 vehicles that would be replaced through this purchase, 14 w ould be used by
14 Groundskeepers in Park Maintenance to transport staff , equ ipment , and materials to
maintain 9 parks throughout the City as assigned below:
1. Marine Park – 1 Groundskeeper
2. Crescent Bay Park & Barnard Linear Park – 1 Groundskeeper
3. South Beach Park & Beach Park I – 1 Groundskeeper
4. Ocean View Park – 1 Groundskeeper
5. Ree d Park – 1 Groundskeeper
6. Douglas Park – 1 Groundskeeper
7. Virginia Ave Park – 1 Groundskeeper
8. Memorial Park – 1 Groundskeeper
9. Hotchkiss Park & Joslyn Park – 1 Groundskeeper
10. 5 sections of Palisades Park – 5 Groundskeepers
The remaining three vehicles would b e used in the Downtown district by Promenade
Maintenance staff. The vehicles would be used by various m aintenance w orkers and
e quipment o perators and are not assigned to any one individual. The vehicles would be
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used during two shifts, seven days per week, all year . They would be used to transport
staff and equipment to various locations in the downtown area. Tasks performed by staff
utilizing these vehicles include emptying trashcans, picking up litter, cleaning amenities
in the district, weed abatement, a nd cleaning trash bin rooms in the parking structures.
This purchase would replace Miles Electric Vehicles with dump beds and one electric
Ford Ranger pickup truck with Good Earth FireFly Electric Vehicles with dump beds.
The custom -built, modified Fire Fly with dump bed specifications were developed
considering the City’s Sustainable Fleet Administrative Instruction and Sustainability
Plan, as well as, the operational requirements of Park Maintenance and Promenade
Maintenance. Various electric vehicles were tested for extended battery life, reliability,
reduced maintenance costs, and safety , by Park Maintenance and Promenade
Maintenance including Miles, E -Rides, GEM, Mighty Truck, Advantage, and FireF ly
(please see table below).
Pros Cons Other Remarks
Miles Obsolete. Obsolete . Maintenance issues.
E -Ride None . Costly to maintain.
Lead acid batteries
have many
maintenance issues.
Weak turning radius.
Weak differentials.
Limited to 25 mph max.
Dump bed restricts
rear view of operator.
Two units caug ht fire
and burned two feet
around due to wiring
malfunction.
Being limited to 25 mph
on surface streets can
be a hazard.
GEM None . Weak suspension
parts.
No dump bed.
Limited to 25 mph
max.
Weak turning radius.
Lead acid batteries
have many
maintenanc e issues.
Obsolete. Bought out
by Polaris. Hard to get
parts.
Not built for a rugged
application.
Being limited to 25 mph
on surface streets can
be a hazard.
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Mighty
Truck
Well -
built . Sturdy.
Limited to 25 mph
max.
Takes time to get
parts through
Cust oms.
Being limited to 25 mph
on surface streets can
be a hazard.
Advantage None. Limited to 25 mph
max.
No dump bed.
Being limited to 25 mph
on surface streets can
be a hazard.
FireFly Great turning
radius. Very
maneuverable.
Good range per
charge. (3 -4)
days.
Can go over 25
mph on surface
streets because
it is classified as
a motorcycle.
Some parts are not
readily available.
In comparison to other
equivalent vehicles, the
FireFly has the least
amount of repair costs
and can be operated
without having to be
plugged in after every
days use.
Convention
al Fuel
Options
None. Fossil fuels. More
waste is created.
Contradicts the
Sustainability Plan and
the Sustainable Fleet
AI.
The Good Earth Fire F ly Electric Vehicle i s able to provide the perfor mance, battery life,
and payload necessary to support the Park Maintenance and Promenade Maintenance
sections of the Public Landscape Division and adheres to the guidelines set forth in the
City’s Sustainable Fleet Administrative Instruction and Sustainabi lity Plan .
The bid specifications included language requesting bids for the Good Earth FireFly, or
an equivalent vehicle, giving vendors the option to take exception to or propose an
alternative vehicle that meets the minimum requirements in order to mee t operational
needs. This solicitation was not considered a sole source as there were multiple
distributors who could have potentially bid. Furthermore, given electric vehicles,
especially for commercial use, are an emerging technology, staff felt it impo rtant for
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vendors to provide vendors the opportunity to propose other vehicle models that met
City specifications.
T here are many standard features which factor into the overall price of the Good Earth
FireFly electric vehicle. The battery technology th e Good Earth FireFly vehicles has
improved over the last few years , making the vehicles safe r , more sustainable and
efficient.
The FireFly vehicles were also the best fit because of their road -worthiness. Many
competing vehicles in this market are also safe up to 25 miles per hour on surface
streets. This is important because these vehicles would be housed at the Colorado
Yards, would be charged overnight, and then would be driven out to each park location
on a daily basis. This requires that the vehicl e is street legal and can hold a charge for
an extended period of time traveling over diverse terrain. The FireFly is classified as a
motorcycle and has the ability to go over 25 miles per hour on surface streets. The fact
that FireFly vehicles are certifi ed for surface street use while also satisfying the City’s
sustainability requirements as defined by the Sustainable Fleet Administrative
Instruction make them the best fit for Santa Monica. This purchase meets the goals of
the City’s Reduced -Emissions Fu els Policy by utilizing vehicles powered electricity,
which reduces emissions.
Vendor Selection
In January 2017 , the City published Notices Inviting Bids to furnish and deliver 13 Good
Earth FireF ly Electric Vehicles or an equivalent type vehicle , with th e option to purchase
up to five additional vehicles at the same price, terms, and conditions, in accordance
with City specifications. The bid was posted on the City’s on -line bidding site, and
notices were advertised in the Santa Monica Daily Press in acc ordance with City
Charter and Municipal Code provisions. A total of 134 City of Santa Monica local
vendors and 250 external vendors were notified . T here were 15 prospective bidders,
and 12 vendors downloaded the bid. One bid was received and publicly open ed on
February 1, 2017 , per Attachment A. Staff conducted additional outreach to vendors
who downloaded the bid to see why they did not submit a bid; two no -bid responses
were received. One vendor could not meet the design changes in the specifications
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wit hin the delivery timeframe requirement. Adherence to the delivery requirement is
crucial in order to prevent spending more and more money to maintain the existing
vehicles. Another vendor stated the bid was being submitted by the national distributor,
ev T ransportation Services, Inc., directly in its stead. In other words, the regional
distributor did not submit a bid, the national distributor took the lead.
The average cost of maintenance per year per vehicle is $3,050. It takes approximately
one year to go through the formal bid process and award the bid. If staff reject ed this bid
and went back out to bid, approximately $51,8 50 in additional maintenance costs would
be incurred and we would run the risk that some units would fail beyond repair.
Staff re commends ev Transportation Service s , Inc. as the best bidder for the purchase
and delivery of 1 7 new and unused Good Earth Fire F ly Electric Vehicles as required by
Fleet Management . The bid w as evaluated based on the criteria in SMMC 2.24.072,
including pr ice, ability to deliver, quality of product, and compliance with City
specifications.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The purchase order to be awarded to ev Transportation Service s , Inc. is for an amount
not to exceed $837,747 . Funds are available in the FY 2016 -17 Capital Improvement
Program budget in account C540167.589200.
Prepared By: Heidi Duran, Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
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Attachments:
A. Attachment A - Bid Summary
B. EV Transportation Services, Inc._revised 3E
C. Wr itten Comments
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