2.3. ERMUSR 09-10-2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Time-Of-Use (TOU) Rates and Connection Fees Implementing Time-of-Use (TOU) rates at public charging stations was an important component over the grant period. In the early months of offering public charging, ERMU offered a per hour fee for charging and then changed to a connection fee and TOU pricing that utilized on-peak and off-peak rates.The connection fees were not attractive to electric vehicle drivers because, in general, the charging sessions are short and the connection fee plus the TOU rate per kWh made the public charging too expensive. Another realization was that most customers were not able to capitalize on the off-peak charging rate from 11 p.m.to 7 a.m. because they would be charging their vehicle at home. Based on electric vehicle user feedback, ERMU abandoned the TOU rates and connection fees at the public charging stations in favor of a simple per kWh charge. Purchase and/or lease of electric vehicles Elk River Municipal Utilities elected to purchase a battery electric Chevrolet Bolt.The decision to purchase a Bolt was based on the results of the Fleetcarma Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment.The Assessment provided analytical data that showed ERMU could benefit significantly by incorporating electric vehicles into its fleet.The driving factors that allowed for the purchase were a lower cost of ownership compared to an internal combustion engine and the need to lead by example. On a strategic level, ERMU decided to purchase the Bolt so they could share their battery electric vehicle driving experience with others. The City of Elk River took a different approach by leasing a plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander.The City elected to lease because there were constraints in the fleet budget, and they believed that with rapidly changing technology, a three-year lease would be a safer option.The City had concerns about range anxiety. Range anxiety is the concern of an electric vehicle driver that the battery will run out of power before the final destination or charging station is reached.The other concern was the need for a vehicle with all-wheel-drive for off-road uses. Results up to the Final Report The partnership between Elk River Municipal Utilities and the City of Elk River to provide public and private charging infrastructure and the implementation of Time-of-Use (TOU) rates has established Elk River as a leader in the electric vehicle community. The ability to partner with the City of Elk River has allowed for a much greater reach in educating other communities about incorporating electric vehicles into daily fleet operations, reducing operational costs for fleet vehicles, improving community outreach, reducing the environmental impacts of transportation, and increasing electric sales and the associated payment in lieu of taxes to the City. 8 47