Laguna Beach council directs staff to pursue EV charging, seeks grants to cut net cost

Laguna Beach city officials voted to direct staff to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for electric vehicle (EV) charging construction and to pursue utility and state incentives supporting a five‑year fleet electrification plan.

The vote followed a staff presentation and consultant briefing that outlined a phased plan to replace portions of the city’s 185‑vehicle fleet over 15 years and to install charging infrastructure at City Hall and the city’s maintenance courtyard. Assistant City Engineer Frank Lopez introduced the plan and Emma Sullivan, program manager with consultant ICF, described the near‑term implementation steps, costs and funding opportunities.

The plan recommends electrifying about 22 vehicles in the first five years and installing 47 chargers (16 at City Hall, 31 at the Courtyard). Vehicle capital costs for that five‑year window were estimated at about $12.87 million; charger hardware at about $2.87 million; and “make‑ready” electrical upgrades about $335,000, some of which (up to $268,000) could be reimbursed through the Southern California Edison (SoCal Edison) Charge Ready Transport (CRT) program. The consultant said the plan’s total capital cost is about…