Good news for Manhattan..a BMW electric is set out for a test here
Manhattan Beach's fleet of city vehicles could soon become more compact, a lot more eco-friendly and definitely so much cuter.
The city is reviewing an offer from BMW Group that would give Manhattan Beach temporary, deeply discounted leases on up to 10 fully electric versions of the luxury carmaker's zippy little Mini Cooper.
In exchange for paying a monthly $10 fee for each vehicle and offering feedback on the car's performance, Manhattan would get a
year-long test-drive of the Mini E, a car that's not yet available on the market.
"I think it's great," said City Councilman Richard Montgomery, who is pushing the concept. "We're not paying for gas, we're not paying for (compressed natural gas), maintenance or wear-and-tear on our vehicles."
The offer, which Manhattan leaders could accept as early as next month, is an extension of a mass field test launched by BMW, said Nadine Jambor, a Mini E sales specialist.
Beginning in early May, the automaker will disperse 500 vehicles to municipalities, companies and regular folk alike on both sides of the country in exchange for feedback before the cars hit the market, she said.
"This will help us gain first experience with an electric car," Jambor said.
Most testers will pay $850 a month for the vehicle, but Manhattan Beach could get a special fleet price of $10 per car, she said.
Manhattan Beach's staunch environmental activism of late factored into BMW approaching the
city for the program, Jambor said.
"That's one of the reasons we reached out to them," Jambor said.
"Obviously, we'd love to partner up with institutions and municipalities that have made advancements in the green effort."
Use of the Mini E would accelerate the city's effort to "green" its vehicle fleet - which makes up more than 26 percent of the city's total greenhouse gas emissions, a detailed November 2007 assessment of the Manhattan Beach's carbon footprint determined.
Already, 13 percent of the city's fleet runs on alternative fuel, gas-electric hybrid technology or electricity, and the great majority of the remaining vehicles run on gasoline, the report determined.
"It's also reducing our emissions with whatever we're doing now with CNG and hybrid to zero," Montgomery said.
The plan's nitty-grittynitty-gritty of the plan is still undetermined, but Montgomery thought the vehicles should be reserved for department heads' general city business or their commutes if they live nearby.
Or the city could keep the pool of cars at City Hall so city offcials could check them out as they go about daily business, he suggested.
A BMW man himself, Montgomery would happily garage his 750 i sedan model temporarily for a smaller Mini E, he said.
"I definitely would," Montgomery said. "I think it's a fun car to drive, and it saves wear-and-tear on my vehicle."
City Attorney Bob Waddencq and other department heads are reviewing the proposal, which presents some challenges.
They must determine if the cars would be considered a gift reportable to the Fair Political Practices Commission. If so, they must also calculate the cars' fair market value - complicated given they are not yet available for purchase.
The commission requires city officials to report gifts to ensure the public's ability to know potential sources of political influence, said Roman Portercq, the commission's executive director.
"The primary concern that the commission is concerned with is the undue influence of public officials," he said.
Also, the city must determine whether city officials using the cars must forgo their vehicle allowance - a concession Montgomery was willing to make, he said.
With just two doors and two seats, the Mini E is more geared toward city officials shuffling around town or between meetings than hauling around equipment or people.
Able to hit top speeds of 95 mph and travel up to 120 miles on one battery charge, the Mini E is better suited for local travel, rather than sprinting up to Sacramento to lobby the governor for funding. But Montgomery figures the opportunity to educate residents about electric-vehicle technology, and save the city gas money, would be worth its weight in, er, lithium-ion.
"If you can save gas costs for a year during this budget crisis, don't care what you pay for the car," he said.
Montgomery added: "If I said, 'I'll give you this car for a year for
$10 a month, and all you have to do is fill out a survey,' you'd say,
'Where do I sign?'"
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