Finance Committee to Review $5.1 Million Electric Truck Purchase

The Pasadena City Council’s Finance Committee will review a $5.1 million contract Monday to purchase nine electric heavy-duty trucks as part of the city’s push toward zero-emission vehicles.

In an Agenda Report, the Department of Public Works said it wants to buy Battle Motors LET2 electric trucks from Los Angeles Truck Centers, LLC through Velocity Vehicle Group. The trucks would replace aging gas-powered vehicles including Ford F650 and GMC C7500 dump trucks.

The proposed contract includes a base price of $4.65 million with a 10% contingency allowance of $465,096. Staff recommended the contingency to address unstable market conditions affecting manufacturers and supply chains.

The report said federal funding would significantly reduce the city’s costs. Recently, Pasadena received $2.34 million from the EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program to replace non-zero-emission trucks with electric models.

Additional state vouchers could lower costs further, the report explained. California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program offers $70,000 per Class 7 truck replacement. If approved, those vouchers would reduce the net cost by $630,000.

With both funding sources, the city’s total cost would drop to $2.15 million from the original $5.1 million contract amount.

Comparing the electric trucks to compressed natural gas alternatives, the department said CNG trucks would cost $4.07 million, or $949,421 less than electric vehicles. However, the EPA grant makes electric trucks $1.39 million less expensive than CNG options.

The city would need charging stations costing about $25,000 each for the electric fleet. Staff estimates three or four stations could handle routine charging for all nine vehicles.

The report also considered that emergency response could pose challenges for electric trucks. During power outages like those during the Eaton Fire, the vehicles couldn’t operate for extended periods. The city could rent replacement trucks if needed.

The trucks are expected for delivery by December 2026. Battle Motors vehicles are already used in Santa Monica and Plano, Texas, the report said.

Pasadena has worked with Velocity Vehicle Group before, paying over $8 million in invoices since fiscal year 2016, according to the report. The vendor secured the contract through Sourcewell, a national purchasing cooperative serving more than 50,000 member agencies.

The proposed purchase aligns with the city’s Climate Action Plan goals and fleet electrification efforts and supports the City Council’s strategic goals for fiscal responsibility and environmental sustainability.

The contract would not require competitive bidding under city charter provisions for contracts with other governmental entities or their contractors. The department said the deal serves the city’s best interests by eliminating the need for separate solicitation processes.

The Finance Committee meets Monday at City Hall’s City Council Chamber starting at 3 p.m.