If you and your gas-powered engine lost access to your favorite parking spot on the sixth floor, your EV-driving colleagues thank you!
The City has been increasing its investment in EV fleet vehicles as a means to reduce its share of municipal emissions. This is an administration goal being led by the Office of Sustainability in coordination with our Fleet and Public Service Departments and community partners.
Dawn Michele Foster of the
Office of Sustainability and Nicholas Bradshaw,
Fleet Services Director, worked with the Public Building Authority and Public Service to make necessary upgrades to support the charging infrastructure.
The Office of Sustainability funded the project and performed the construction oversight for the electrical upgrades and EV equipment installation to support the new EVs added to the fleet.
Edison Electric performed the electrical upgrades and coordinated with KUB to install a new 3-phase transformer. The electrical service was sized to 800 amps to provide additional capacity for future expansion.
Once the electric upgrades were completed, Brandt Womack installed the EV chargers.
These chargers are the necessary infrastructure that will support the
City's goals of reducing municipal emissions, as well as Fleet’s goal to have at least one EV for each department.
How do Plans Inspectors – who drive 13 of the EVs – feel about the change?
Deputy Plans Review and Inspections Tim Marcum says that the new chargers – both their increase in numbers and power – are benefitting inspectors on their daily routes.
Inspectors can drive 50 to 100 miles per day, depending on their destinations. And with a full charge, their Nissan Leafs can make that trip no problem.
And now there are enough spots dedicated to the EVs, so there’s less jockeying for charging privileges than when 13 cars were competing for six chargers.
Six new Ford Mach E models will join the team in the next two years. Marcum says inspectors will be fighting for them. They’re a bit larger than the Leafs, which can be a snug fit for staff members over 6 feet tall.
“They are really nice to drive,” he says.
Thanks to everyone for their ingenuity, patience and continued collaborations. Your teamwork will ensure our Fleet and our employees are able to drive progress forward.