City seeks 5 electric vehicles

By Ed Garland

FLORIDA TODAY

Meter readers soon might be driving around Palm Bay in vehicles powered by electricity.

The City Council has decided to submit an Alternative Fueled Vehicle Initiative Program Proposal before the Sept. 1 deadline.

City officials estimate Palm Bay will seek about $100,000 for the proposed project, which calls for buying five electric-powered pickups at about S15,000 apiece for the fleet maintenance division.

Four vehicles will be used on a daily basis by each meter reader, and one will be used as a supervisor's vehicle, City Manager Mike Abels said.

To encourage local governments to use alternative-fueled vehicles, the Legislature has made available grants derived, from an oil overcharge program.

The Florida Energy Office of the Department of Community Affairs has $3 million available to pay for project proposals submitted by Florida municipalities, with each project anticipated to fall within $100,000 to $300,000

Tentative plans call for Palm Bay to enter into a partnership with Renaissance Cars Inc., an electric car manufacturer in the city, Abels said.

"A program would be designed to utilize small, electric-powered pickup trucks for utility meter reading and service call transportation," Abels said. "The use of these vehicles indicates that the city of Palm Bay is concerned about the environment, as electric-powered vehicles do not release emissions into the atmosphere."

Dennis Kaiser, director of marketing for Renaissance Cars, said the company will offer the city a two-year maintenance program and training classes.

"Their people will be well aware of how to keep vehicles in good running order," he said.

Although a dollar-for-dollar match is required for the program, acceptable substitutes could include training costs and any expenses exclusively attributed to the project, Abels said.

"In fact, these vehicles will be used at no cost to the city except for power, and it is estimated that it is one-fifth of the cost to electrically power vehicles in comparison to gas," he said.

The program also would generate useful research information and increase public awareness, he said.