Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout101-staff report.pdfPage 1 of 3 SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: February 16, 2011 AGENDA ITEM: DEPARTMENT: Public Works CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson PREPARED BY: John Cherbone DIRECTOR: John Cherbone Public Works Director Public Works Director SUBJECT: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations -Update RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: Receive Report and Provide Direction to Staff. REPORT SUMMARY: Background In anticipation of a greater need for publicly available charging stations for electric vehicles, staff met with a company called Coulomb Technologies that manufactures “smart” charging stations. All of the major auto makers, except Volkswagen, have announced plans to begin production of electric vehicles in the next five years. Consequently, an increasing number of electric vehicles will be available to consumers in the coming years. The battery life of these vehicles is expected to range widely from 40 miles to 220 miles. Due to the limited range of these vehicles, many owners will need to charge their cars at home and at their destination. Infrastructure needs to be in place prior to the initial sales of electric vehicles due out by most manufacturers in the model year 2011. Furthermore, there are a significant number of Americans who do not own a garage. These drivers will need to have access to public charging stations before purchasing an electric vehicle. Ultimately, Coulomb Technologies argues that by investing in charging stations, cities and other government entities can make it easier for the public to transition to electric vehicles and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Coulomb Technologies was awarded a large public grant in the amount of $40 million through the federal government that is basically a buy one and get one free program. Local jurisdictions are eligible for this program. Each station costs approximately $5,000. At the July 19, 2009, Grant Study Session, City Council approved a ten unit purchase with Coulomb Technologies. The cost for the ten units was $25,000 or half the cost if purchased outside of the federal grant. PG&E and electrical work related costs were estimated at $40,000. Page 2 of 3 A summary of the ChargePoint System marketed by Coulomb Technologies is discussed in the attachment. Discussion The first step in the installation of the charging stations is to determine appropriate locations with electrical infrastructure to support the units. To that end, staff solicited the help of an electrician to determine appropriate locations in the City. The main criteria to determine a location were: 1) location must be in a high use area, 2) location must be on public property, and 3) location must have the minimum infrastructure to support a charging unit. Locations which met the minimum criteria: Village: • Turkey Trot Lane/3rd Street (spaces adjacent to Cleaners) • Parking District #3 (creek side spaces behind The Bank) • Parking District #4 (spaces near 4th Street) City Hall: • Allendale Avenue Parking Lot (spaces adjacent to Civic Theater) • Fruitvale Avenue Parking Lot (spaces behind Engineering Building) Saratoga Library: • Library Parking Lot (spaces near entrance) Recently, the above mentioned locations were discussed with the Vehicle Charging Ad Hoc Committee comprised of Manny Cappello and Emily Lo. Subsequently, the Ad Hoc recommended the following locations and distribution of the 10 charging stations: Turkey Trot Lane: 2 Parking District #3: 3 City Hall (Civic Theater): 2 City Hall (Engineering): 1 Saratoga Library: 2 10 Once the City Council finalizes the distribution and locations of the charging stations, staff will notify anyone who may be impacted by the installation. Additionally, staff will work with the City Traffic Engineer to determine appropriate parking regulations. The intent will be to provide short term limited parking (maximum 15 minute) in the highest use spaces with charging stations. Parking flexibility may be desirable in the beginning until the charging units experience high enough usage, at which point limited term parking will no longer be needed. FISCAL IMPACTS: Fees associated with the use of the charging stations will be developed as part of the annual fee schedule update. Page 3 of 3 CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTION: The distribution and locations for the charging stations would not be determined. ALTERNATIVE ACTION: City Council may recommend additional locations or change the recommended distribution of charging stations. FOLLOW UP ACTION: Staff will work towards a late summer completion of the project. ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT: This item was posted as a City Council agenda item and was included in the packet made available on the City’s web site in advance of the meeting. A copy of the agenda packet is also made available at the Saratoga Branch Library each Monday in advance of the Council meeting and residents may subscribe to the agenda on-line by opting in at www.saratoga.ca.us. ATTACHMENTS: ChargePoint System Information