Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

City Sees No Spark In Electric Car Deal

After a long discussion over the past few meetings, the Board of Public Works has decided not to apply city funds toward acquiring an electric car for the city of Kimball in their meeting December 11.

The decision not to move forward with the electric car for Kimball comes from uncertainty pertaining to how it could be put to use to benefit the city.

“I think it is the right thing. I just wish I felt more confident that it was something we could really use,” Chairperson Jim Cederburg said.

City Administrator Harold Farrar had applied for a grant and was awarded $15,000 for the purchase of the vehicle, cutting the cost of the car in half. The car being considered for the board to lease was a 2012 Nissan Leaf.

“It’s an opportunity to be on the leading edge, and it’s an opportunity to get a $29,000 vehicle for $15,000,” Farrar said.

The low cost of maintenance also seemed to be a selling point for the vehicle as it does not require oil changes.

The only real maintenance on the car would be rotating the tires every 7,500 miles and battery inspection every year with Nissan paying for the first two inspections, according to paperwork passed out at the meeting on the Woodhouse Nissan Leaf Municipal Lease Program established in 2012.

After much discussion, the board just could not find a suitable use for the vehicle that would justify applying city funds to cover the other $15,000 for it.

“If it was replacing a vehicle, or it was a vehicle that would be used daily because we needed that vehicle, it would be different,” Cederburg said.

According to Nissan, the Leaf has a range of more than 73 miles and is rated at 99 miles per gallon gasoline equivalency.

Deliveries of the well publicized car began in the United States December 2010.

The Leaf produces no greenhouse gas emissions and has no tailpipe.

Discussion of acquiring an electric car for Kimball stemmed from the city receiving a free ChargePoint charging station for electric vehicles which the city applied for along with the School District.

As electric and hybrid powered vehicles become more popular and cities begin integrating such vehicles into their pools, the availability of charging stations has increasingly become an issue.

The location for the charging station itself is yet to be decided upon.