COLUMBUS BUSINESS FIRST
By Carrie Ghose
The Smart Columbus grant has helped the city buy its first batch of electric vehicles and start installing charging stations in a pledge to green its fleet.
City Council in November approved a $2 million lease-to-own deal for 93 electric vehicles that will replace aging cars in the fleet. City income taxes in a fund for fleet vehicles cover $1.7 million, while $273,000 is from the $10 million grant from Vulcan Inc. toward reducing fossil fuel consumption.
Bids are being evaluated for a $700,000 installation of charging stations at three city-owned sites, with $100,000 from the Vulcan grant and the rest from a Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission fund for easing traffic congestion and improving air quality.
