Since 2013, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea had one donated “Blink”- brand Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station which is located in the north parking lot of Sunset Center. The first year of the pilot project provided electric charging capabilities at no cost to the user. Since then, the charging station has generated no revenue for the City and marginal revenue for the Blink company. In spite of this fact, the station installation was a good 'first step' for the City and certainly supports our ethic of environmental sustainability.
Recently, the Public Works Department was advised of the City’s eligibility to receive two (2) new, dual-port EV charging stations that would be capable of charging up to four (4) vehicles simultaneously. The full cost for the new charging stations, plus shipping, five (5) years of hardware warranty, and five (5) years of network services, would be entirely funded by a Monterey Bay Air Resources District grant. The City would be responsible only for the initial installation and electric power connections.
The manufacturer of these new charging stations, ChargePoint, Inc., with a local office in Campbell, California, also provides an internet-based network program that includes the following features:
· ChargePoint will collect electricity usage fees set by the City, and each month, reimburse 90% of the usage fees back to the City. ChargePoint retains 10% to cover their cost for billing, authentication, and credit card processing fees.
· ChargePoint provides reports and analytics that show station usage, energy consumption, greenhouse gas reduction, and other valuable data to support the City's sustainability program.
· ChargePoint offers “Wait List,” an online service that allows EV drivers to be notified when a charging station becomes available.
· ChargePoint will provide EV customer support for charging station assistance on a 24 hour per day x 7 days per week x 365 days per year basis.
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the donations of these charging stations. The stations will be installed at two different locations. The first charging station will be installed at Sunset Center’s north parking lot, adjacent to the existing Blink charging station which will remain as is. The second charging station will be installed in the Vista Lobos parking lot as the City is continuing to encourage use of this lot.
In exchange for this donation, the City would have to enter into the subject Donation Agreement with ChargePoint, agree to install the charging stations, and allow the stations to operate for at least five (5) years. Staff supports the Donation Agreement in concept.