Indianapolis Officials Concerned About Vision Fleet Deal

Indianapolis officials are again questioning the city's controversial agreement to lease electric vehicles (EVs) through Vision Fleet, after the company suspended all car sharing operations last month.

Part of the confusion comes from the company name. Vision Fleet changed its name in March, separating its EV car share operations and fleet leasing operations to Evercar and Evercar for Fleet, respectively. So Indianapolis officials became concerned last month, when Evercar announced that it would suspend all on-demand car share operations in Los Angeles in San Francisco and its website was taken down, as reported by Tech Crunch.

The company has since clarified, explaining that its fleet leasing operations will continue under the original name Vision Fleet. Its existing contracts with Indianapolis and the City of Atlanta will still be upheld, and fleet leasing operations will continue. 

"Vision Fleet will continue to fully maintain operations of these projects, with no interruption in service. We believe Vision Fleet's innovative model for shared, electric vehicles represents the future of transportation, and look forward to exploring strategic opportunities to continue pursuing this vision," Evercar COO Josh Lake said in a statement.

Although the company is not actively seeking new clients, a representative for Vision Fleet stated that it is still open to discussing potential partnerships with other interested cities.

City council members still voiced their concerns, however, with some expressing doubt about the company's continued operations, reports Fox 59. 

The city's agreement with Vision Fleet has been a controversial topic since late 2014, when then-Mayor Greg Ballard signed a deal to acquire 425 vehicles through the company, creating the largest municipal fleet of electric vehicles in the nation. 

City officials opposed this deal, and city council eventually sued Ballard for not following procurement protocols. The lawsuit was eventually settled, and Vision Fleet earned a new contract to continue supplying EVs for the city.