Indianapolis Settles Lawsuit Over Vision Fleet Deal
The City of Indianapolis’ mayor and the city-county council have settled a lawsuit over a Vision Fleet contract to lease 425 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The city will halt deployment of Vision Fleet vehicles while it rebids the contract.
The agreement means the city will continue the Vision Fleet program on the 212 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles already deployed in the fleet, but that no new vehicles will be added. Meanwhile, the city will put out a new competitive contract similar to the current contract, with additional protections and oversight.
Ad Loading...
"Both parties recognize that each side has legitimate opposing interpretations of state and municipal bidding laws and procedures," a joint statement by Ballard and City-County Council President Maggie Lewis stated. "Rather than press to have our legal arguments determined by a court, however, all parties feel it is in the best interest of taxpayers to compromise."
Vision Fleet will continue to provide management services for the vehicles in the fleet until the new contract is awarded. Vision Fleet CEO Michael Brylawski said the request for proposal (RFP) for the new contract was issued on Sept. 2, and although he hadn’t reviewed it yet when he spoke to Government Fleet, he expects Vision Fleet will compete.
While rebidding a contract is not an ideal situation, Brylawski said he does see some potential benefits. The contract winner would have more direct engagement with the police department and could potentially expand the program to more vehicles.
The new RFP is for the entire contract, not just for the remaining vehicles that haven’t been replaced with electric or plug-in vehicles, Brylawski said. If Vision Fleet doesn’t win the contract, the company will be reimbursed for its vehicles and other capital investments, and the contract winner will roll out a full program.
The City of Long Beach, California, has unveiled its first two all-electric garbage trucks, marking the start of a pilot program as the city evaluates a broader transition away from compressed natural gas.
Beam Global and HEVO have launched an integrated autonomous wireless charging system that pairs off-grid solar EV infrastructure with wireless charging technology, designed to support autonomous vehicle operations and electric fleet deployments.
Alabama A&M University has added four electric patrol vehicles to its Department of Public Safety fleet, becoming the first university in the state to deploy electric police vehicles.
The pilot will use Cero Global’s technology on city-owned vehicles to evaluate its impact on emissions and fuel consumption, as well as potential savings in municipal operating costs.
Philadelphia is shifting its trash collection fleet toward cleaner operations with a new partnership that will power 35 CNG compactors using renewable natural gas sourced from regional landfills.
