Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 5.E
Meeting Date: March 26, 2025
From: John A. Corella, Director of Public Works
Title: Replacement of Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations in the Cathedral City Parking Structure
RECOMMENDATION:
To authorize the replacement of the existing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations with four (4) new Level 2 EV chargers in the Cathedral City parking structure in an amount not to exceed $14,800 and authorize the Director of Public Works to execute an operations and maintenance agreement with EV Range.
BACKGROUND:
Cathedral City currently has four (4) Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations for public use located near the entrance of the town square public parking structure. Owned by the city, these chargers have been available, free of charge, for the past 12 years. The city offered the EV chargers at no cost to the public to encourage the purchase and use of electric vehicles by improving access to, and at that time, limited charging infrastructure. Offering this free public EV charging was a central strategy to help residents transition to alternative fuel vehicles. However, continuing to provide these chargers with no cost is no longer feasible.
Additionally, because of the free charging over the years, staff have experienced issues with vehicles left more than the allocated four (4) hour time frame to charge their vehicle and individuals sleeping in their vehicles overnight while charging. Both these driver actions have limited accessibility to these vehicle chargers. This behavior is facilitated by the current free charging being offered.
The city has been absorbing the cost of providing electricity and maintenance of the parking structure EV charging stations. EV vehicles have gained significant popularity since the city’s installation of the parking structure charging stations were installed and offering this free charging service is no longer fiscally viable. Drivers of EV vehicles all expect to pay for vehicle charging on the road or at home through their electric bill.
Locally, more EV charging stations have been installed and made available for public use.
Below is a list of public access to EV chargers located around the Cathedral City downtown corridor.
Location Charger
Type
Cost No of Chargers at
location
Cathedral City Parking Structure Level 2 Free 4
Agua Caliente Casino Level 2 $0.49 per KwH 34
A map of EV charging station locations within the city is also attached. EV chargers with public access can also be found by visiting the following website:
https://www.plugshare.com
A Level 2 charger is estimated to take 4 to 8 hours to fully charge an electric vehicle, making it suitable for overnight charging or charging at work during the day; depending on the charger's output and the car's battery size, the charging time can vary slightly.
Overall, replacing and installing new Electric Vehicles (EV) charging stations in the Cathedral City parking structure is another step towards supporting sustainable transportation. One aspect of sustainable transportation is to promote low-emission modes like walking, biking, and public transit, and utilization of renewable energy sources.
DISCUSSION:
Staff are proposing to replace the four existing EV chargers located in the parking structure.
The existing Level 2 EV chargers do not integrate a payment system that would allow users to pay for the energy they consume. The city’s Fleet Coordinator reached out to four (4) EV charger providers; ChargePoint, EV Range, Stronghold and AMP-Up. Two of the four providers responded with ChargePoint submitting one (1) proposal and EV Range submitting two (2) different proposals.
Before summarizing the differences between the three proposals received, below is a list of components included in all three:
Removal and disposal of existing equipment and installation of new Level 2 chargers. A payment system to allow users to pay for the energy consumed. Ability to charge the user an “idle time charge” for drivers that leave their vehicles after the battery is fully charged.
Software training provided for staff.
Software that monitors usage and provides monthly reporting on the use of the EV chargers.
Support services, which include maintenance of equipment.
Below are additional details provided in each proposal:
Option 1 – ChargePoint
Vendor Scope of Work Total Cost
ChargePoint Installation of four (4) Level 2 dual-port EV charges with a 5-year support services and
warranty coverage included
$42,835
Additional Details:
A dual-port EV charger can charge two (2) vehicles simultaneously, which allows eight (8) vehicles to charge at the same time.
This option will take up eight (8) EV charging parking spaces, four (4) more than the city currently designates.
The city would own the chargers and be able to set the pricing and receive all the revenue.
5-year Station Management Plan which includes parts and labor warranty, staff training, software dashboard, monitoring, reporting, alerts, and technical support. A ChargePoint EV charger is designed to work exclusively with ChargePoint’s proprietary software and cannot be operated with software from another provider.
The $42,835 ($8,567 per year) includes a 5-year subscription with an option to renew. The city would own the four (4) Level 2 dual-port EV chargers.
Option 2 – EV Range
Vendor Scope of Work Total Cost
EV Range Installation of four (4) Level 2 single-
port EV chargers with 5-year support
services and warranty coverage included
$14,800
Additional details
A single-port EV charger can charge one (1) vehicle at a time which allows four (4) vehicles to charge at the same time.
This option will utilize the current four (4) existing parking spaces designated for EV charging.
The city would own the chargers and be able to set the pricing (above the low limit) and share the revenue.
5-year Station Management Plan which includes parts and labor warranty, staff training, software dashboard, monitoring, reporting, alerts, and technical support. An EV Range charger is designed to be universal, allowing it to be easily reprogrammed with software from another provider if the city decides to terminate its agreement with EV Range.
The $14,800 ($2,960 per year) includes a 5-year subscription with an option to renew. The city would own the four (4) Level 2 single-port EV chargers.
Option 3 – EV Range
Vendor Scope of Work Total Cost
EV Range Installation of (four) 4 Level 2
single-port EV chargers support
services included
$00.00 (no cost)
Additional details:
A single port EV charger can charge one (1) vehicle at a time which allows four (4) vehicles to charge at the same time.
This option will utilize the current four (4) existing parking spaces designated for EV charging.
EV Range would set pricing to receive the revenue and reimburse the city for the cost to provide electricity to the chargers.
The city can request access to the software to monitor the usage of the EV chargers, if needed.
EV Range will maintain the equipment and cover all costs associated with parts and labor.
The city does have the option of purchasing the equipment and software after 2 years.
There is no cost to the city with option three. EV Range would own the chargers and collect all generated revenue.
STAFF EVALUATION
Option 1: ChargePoint
This ChargePoint option provides the ability to charge eight (8) EV vehicles simultaneously, which may not be necessary or provide a return on the investment. It is not uncommon for EV charging stations that were previously free, to see a decrease in demand once fees are introduced. Therefore, staff does not recommend the need for 8 EV chargers at this time.
Under this option, the city would own the EV chargers. However, if the city chooses to end its service agreement with ChargePoint and switch to a different provider, it would not be possible to do so with the chargers provided by ChargePoint as the software is proprietary.
Option 3: EV Range
Option 3 provides a hands-off approach to EV charging for the city compared to Option 1 and 2. This option would shift responsibility for the EV chargers entirely onto a third party.
The city would not own the EV chargers, nor would the city collect the revenue.
Under this option, EV Range would retain the revenue minus the cost of electricity needed to power the chargers. EV Range would reimburse the city monthly for the cost of electricity.
EV Range would normally offer Option 3 with Level 3 chargers where the demand is greater.
EV Range does not normally recommend Option 3 with Level 2 chargers. EV Range is willing to make an exception for Cathedral City if Option 3 is preferred.
Staff recommends Option 2 – EV Range
Staff concur with EV Range that Option 2 more accurately reflects the city’s current demand.
The benefits of Option 2 include:
Installation of four level 2 EV chargers.
A payment system to allow users to pay for the energy consumed. The city would own the chargers and be able to set the pricing and share the revenue.
The revenue generated from the EV chargers would be collected by EV Range and then dispersed to the city each month.
5-year support services and warranty coverage. The warranty coverage does not include damage resulting from vandalism or accidents. If the charger is damaged due to these circumstances, the cost to repair or replace will be the responsibility of the city. The estimated cost to replace one EV charger is $1,300.
The city would have continuous access to the software to monitor usage and revenue generated.
The city would have the option to renew the service agreement after the initial 5-year agreement expires.
The EV Range charger is universal, giving the city the flexibility to switch to another provider if needed.
The city’s IT department has reviewed Option 2 and approves the technical specifications on the city’s ability to communicate with the charging stations.
A copy of the EV Range proposal and maintenance agreement is attached to this report.
There has been a question of “are four (4) chargers enough to meet the demand?” EV Range and city staff are supporting the answer to this question. To determine if more than four (4) EV charges are needed, EV Range and staff will evaluate the usage of the chargers over the next year. EV Range and our Fleet Coordinator will evaluate the usage. The analysis will consider usage trends, market demand growth, and overall performance. If the analysis determines additional charging stations are warranted and power is available for the additional load, a recommendation to add additional chargers will be forwarded to the Director of Public Works.
Note: If a positive return on investment generated by the new EV chargers in the city’s parking structure is favorable, this may merit potential expansion of charging stations around the city hall area, and incorporation of faster Level 3 charging stations at optimum locations.
If this were to occur, investing in additional units would support the growing need for EV charging locations and add to the city's sustainable infrastructure.
Staff are recommending the replacement of the four (4) existing electric vehicle charging stations within the city parking structure with four (4) new Level 2 EV chargers in an amount not to exceed $14,800 and authorizing the City Manager to execute an Operations and Maintenance Agreement with EV Range attached to this report.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The EV charging station project complies with the city's environmental objectives to reduce emissions and fuel consumptions, protect the ecosystem, increase energy efficiency, and use of renewable sources.
DESCRIPTION GENERAL
LEDGER
ACCOUNT
CODES
PROJECT
CODE
AMOUNT ONE TIME or
ONGOING
2024-2025 EV Charging
Station Project
246-900-910-
911-8300-8301 M02511 $14,800 One Time
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal B: COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Objective: Cathedral City roads, gateways, public spaces, and other city infrastructure are well planned, designed, constructed, and maintained.
Action B-1: Develop an Electric Vehicle Transition Plan to comply with upcoming state mandates and include consideration of providing publicly accessible charging stations.
Action B-19: Develop Fleet Management policies to establish vehicle replacements and utilization standards.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Publicly Available Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Map
2. EV Range Proposal – Option 2
3. EV Range – Maintenance Agreement