In 2021, President Biden announced that he wants to replace all federal government vehicles with “clean electric vehicles.” It’s a big challenge, and that’s before you consider all the government agencies that are able to purchase vehicles through GSA. This includes state, local, and tribal governments, the legislative and judicial branches, as well as government-owned corporations (like the US Postal Service) and some non-profits. For most of these users, it makes sense to go with GSA’s help because they can get better pricing on the vehicles themselves or often receive federal assistance to pay for them.
Although it might not be possible to electrify all federal government vehicles (plus all of the other vehicles) during Biden’s presidency, it is feasible to do so over time with the help of improved charging infrastructure (another one of Biden’s campaign promises). We’ve spent a lot of digital ink talking about the rollout of charging infrastructure for the public (mostly done through the states), but these federal vehicles are also going to need a lot of charging infrastructure of their own, including Level 2 and Level 3 stations as needed.
A recent press release from EnviroSpark shows us that the rollout of this special EV infrastructure will soon begin.
EnviroSpark, an electric vehicle (EV) charging company based in Georgia, was awarded a federal government contract to design and install EV charging stations at locations run by federal agencies throughout the Southeast region of the United States. The $500 million budget for the project comes from General Services Administration (GSA), as part of a larger nationwide effort to expand EV infrastructure.
EnviroSpark was not only the top-ranked small business vendor in the region, which includes 13 states and Puerto Rico, but it was also the only selected vendor that received an overall technical ranking of “excellent.” EnviroSpark says this is due to its team’s extensive prior experience and past performance on relevant projects. With a business specialization exclusively focused on building and installing EV infrastructure, there was no better choice for this project than EnviroSpark. Obviously, EnviroSpark would say that in its press release, but getting GSA to choose it over the others makes it worth repeating here.
“It is an honour to be selected to serve on such an important and high-profile project,” said EnviroSpark Co-founder and CEO Aaron Luque. “Being named the highest-rated company among all the applicants is truly a testament to all of the hard work and dedication the EnviroSpark team has put in over the last 8 years, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
GSA’s “one-stop shop” initiative is designed to assist the federal fleet in transitioning to an entirely emission-less vehicle fleet. As part of this, GSA established Design/Build and Construction Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts government-wide so that Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) could be installed at federal locations nationwide with no issue.
“We are thrilled to be part of this federal push for improved EV infrastructure in the region and country,” EnviroSpark Co-founder and Chief Government Affairs Officer Stephanie Luque said. “In order to increase EV adoption rates and reap the benefits of lower carbon emissions, we must first build out charging infrastructure. EnviroSpark is committed to that mission, and we are proud to be partnering with the GSA to bring EV access to federal agencies.”
EnviroSpark’s commitment under the contract will include:
- EVSE installation
- Feasibility studies, site assessments
- Construction and design-build
- Utility company work coordination
- Electric infrastructure upgrades as needed
- Site work services (including trenching, bollards, signage, pavement markings, etc.)
- Equipment testing and placing into service
EnviroSpark, a turnkey EV solutions contractor, has been selected to conduct various studies, tests, and inspections in order to design, construct, and implement infrastructure improvements at federal agency locations across the region. This includes installing charging stations.
So far, EnviroSpark is responsible for more than 5500 charging ports scattered among commercial customers such as Georgia Power and Tesla, Electrify America, as well as local government entities like cities and municipalities, but this is its first federal contract.