The MPS Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

This paper seeks the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) approval for the funding and the overarching long-term approach to vehicle charging infrastructure to enable the Metropolitan Police (MPS) to meet the air quality commitments set out in the Mayor of London’s Environmental Strategy through the hybridisation of the General Purpose fleet. The paper sets out the strategy for increasing the number of electric vehicle charging points to 820 by year 2025 by investing £6.5M to provide 599 additional points.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

1. Approve the capital investment of up to £6.5M funding from the approved Fleet Services capital plan to deliver an additional 599 charging points across the MPS estate by the end of 2025.

2. Approve the offsetting of £0.43M revenue costs associated with increased electricity and infrastructure maintenance from the reduction in fuel costs.

3. Approve the strategic intent to provide where physically possible, access to a shared charging point for every parking bay across the estate by 2035.

4. Approve the overarching long-term approach to charging infrastructure to meet the MPS air quality commitments up to 2025 and prepare further to 2030 and note the following activity;

a. Note: undertake a trial of off-grid energy as a potential new charging method.

b. Note: where possible and economically viable to ensure all new MPS builds and refurbishment comply with the above strategic intent.

c. Note: heavy goods vehicles to be fossil fuel-free from 2030.

d. Note: undertake a review of MPS bulk fuel sites in preparation for the 60% reduction in diesel vehicles by 2020.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. The UK Government launched the Road to Zero Strategy in 2018, which sets out a target of 50% of cars on UK roads to be ultra-low emission by 2030. The government plans for petrol and diesel cars to be phased out of use on UK roads by 2035.

1.2. The MPS will commit to both the Mayor’s and HM Government’s The Road to Zero policy targets and work towards a fully zero emission fleet by 2050.

1.3. The Mayoral policy objectives set out ambitious targets for the MPS to achieve zero emission status across its fleet by 2050, while meeting specific emission target intervals over the next 30 years, which include all:

• General Purpose cars being zero emission (hybrid) capable by 2025;

• New cars and vans being zero emission (hybrid) capable from 2025;

• Heavy goods vehicles to be fossil fuel-free from 2030;

• General Purpose cars being zero emission by 2030;

• New cars and vans being zero emission from 2030; and

• Greater London Authority (“GLA”) functional bodies’ car fleets being zero emission by 2050.

1.4. In response to the above targets the MPS long-term environmental strategy is the hybridisation of the General Purpose fleet with 820 ultra-low emission vehicles (“ULEV”) by 2025. To support this strategy it will be necessary to increase the current 221 charging points access the MPS estate with 599 additional within the next five years. This initiative will be key to meeting targets set out in the Mayor of London’s Environmental Strategy and policy objectives.

1.5. This approach will ensure the MPS designs a robust, cost effective and resilient charging infrastructure solution that will support both current and future ULEV growth.

1.6. The MPS aim to comply with key targets to hybridise key elements of the support fleet by 2025 and then electrify these vehicles by 2030. However, if for any reason we are unable to achieve these targets due to financial or technological constraints the aims will be adjusted accordingly.

1.7. Maintaining operational policing capability is at the forefront of decision making and for this reason, the plans to hybridise by 2025 will focus more heavily on non-response support fleet. During this time, the MPS will continue to trial technology for emergency response vehicle to support the hybridisation from 2025.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. Vehicle and charging infrastructure technology continues to develop at a rapid pace. A key consideration of the MPS ULEZ charging infrastructure feasibility will be the option for supplementing MPS infrastructure with publicly accessible charging points. This option will provide additional resilience to the MPS charging network.

2.2. Fleet Services has agreed deals with charging point operators (CPOs) and car clubs (e.g. Chargemaster and Source London) to allow MPS fleet vehicles to use public charging points; this will provide MPS drivers with confidence that they can adopt ULEVs and have a variety of options to charge vehicles

2.3. In addition to considering using public charge infrastructure for contingency capacity, Fleet Services will explore new methods of mobile charging, such as a ‘power cube’. This system uses a 60kW battery that is charged via a 3 pin plug and caters for vehicle charging at 7kW. The cube is cost effective, highly mobile and can be deployed to strategic locations and crime scenes with limited power capacity. If the evaluation process of the cube is successful and purchased it would be part of the 599 charging points.

2.4. A “one size fits all” approach will not be appropriate for evaluating the MPS estate. To successfully achieve the implementation of the MPS charging infrastructure, a detailed feasibility study of each MPS site will be necessary to understand the suitability, strategic nature and affordability of each MPS location. All external professional services procured to deliver the feasibility, design and mobilisation activities will be funded as part the total estimated £6.5m approved capital plan. Key activities to better understand the MPS estate will include:

• Audit of the availability of charging-capable parking spaces;

• Review of electric capacity across our MPS buildings; and

• Realignment of MPS estate budgets for the increase in electrical costs (offset by reduction in fuel usage).

2.5. Alongside implementing the charging infrastructure, the MPS are working to ensure Officers and staff have the right support to embrace the behavioural change that will be required. Supporting MPS employees through this significant transition will be essential to embed the change. Fleet Services is collaborating with departments across the MPS to support and educate drivers on how to use ULEVs.

2.6. Throughout the planning process, the MPS will seek collaboration opportunities with the GLA family to enrich the programme and bring to bear the collective knowledge, experience and economies of scale. To this end, the MPS is already part of GLA Fleet Workshops which ensures knowledge is shared with colleagues in the GLA, such as the Deputy Air Quality Manager and the Senior Policy Officer (Air Quality).

2.7. The MPS is pursuing opportunities with Transport for London to discuss the prospect of the MPS utilising the public charging high speed Taxi network for emergency services.

2.8. The MPS is also seeking discussions with a number of London Borough Councils for the installation of charging points next to Police allocated bays on the pubic highway, such as the parking area directly outside New Scotland Yard in Westminster. Assistance will be required to facilitate these requests with London Borough Councils.

2.9. MPS will initiate foundation activities to ensure the basis for our assumptions is correct and remains so throughout the duration of the project. These activities will be delivered by assembling a MPS multi-departmental project team and the wider GLA family to support a detailed charging infrastructure feasibility and costing reviews of the MPS estate. In addition, assess any supplementary collaboration opportunities with the wider GLA family for shared charging points outside the MPS estate.

2.10. As part of the MPS strategic intent review a collaborative approach will be necessary from a wide range of stakeholders across the MPS and GLA family to ensure success. Activities planned include developing a strategic approach towards future MPS buildings, delivering future infrastructure and encouraging behavioural change among colleagues.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The £6.5M funding for the additional 599 charging points will be contained within the long-term capital programme. The additional charging points will provide a ratio of charging points to vehicles of one-to-one by 2025.

3.2. This approach supports the option to increase the number of possible daily charging events by upgrading the infrastructure beyond 2025, thereby supporting any future deployment of Emergency Response ULEVs and providing increased resilience across the entire ULEV fleet.

3.3. Estimating the cost for upgrading the power capacity or the site distribution will not be possible at this early stage of the process due to the significant variance in cost.

3.4. The annual revenue cost for electricity and maintaining MPS charging infrastructure for all 820 charging points is estimated to be £0.43M by 2025/26. These costs will be offset by the estimated annual reduction in fuel usage.

3.5. The MPS Property Services Department will coordinate all aspects of the procurement process by utilising the MPS ‘Construction Professional Services Framework Lot 1 (up to £2.0M), which is identified as the preferred framework and compliant route for both construction professional and building works services. The MOPAC is identified as an eligible user of this framework.

3.6. Key to successful design, procurement and mobilisation of the MPS charging infrastructure strategy will be a detailed estate feasibility assessment. This assessment will underpin the annual design and mobilisation assessment stages to ensure resilience across the MPS ULEV Charging estate and to ensure value for money.

3.7. The installation of ‘smart’ charging infrastructure will be considered as art of this project.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. The commercial section within the restricted section of the report confirms there is already a complaint contract in place for this activity this ensures all activities will be procured compliantly in accordance with the PCR.

4.2. A compliantly procured framework agreement shall be a compliant route to market if the framework is still in force, the MOPAC's requirements are within the technical and financial scope of the framework and the call-off procedure set out in the framework is followed. The restricted section of the report confirms the above are satisfied.

4.3. The Construction Professional Services Framework Agreement will be suitable for below-threshold contract awards also, subject to the conditions for use mentioned in Para 28 being met.

4.4. The Mayor's Officer for Policing Crime is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations"). All awards of public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £181,302 or above will be procured in accordance with the Regulations.

4.5. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 or above.

4.6. Paragraph 4.13 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all requests to go out to tender for contracts of £500,000 or above.

5. GDPR and Data Privacy

5.1. The MPS is subject to the requirements and conditions placed on it as a 'State' body to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights and the Data Protection Act (“DPA”) 2018. Both legislative requirements place an obligation on the MPS to process personal data fairly and lawfully in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals.

5.2. Under Article 35 of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and Section 57 of the DPA 2018, Data Protection Impact Assessments (“DPIA”) become mandatory for organisations with technologies and processes that are likely to result in a high risk to the rights of the data subjects.

5.3. The Information Assurance and Information Rights units within MPS will be consulted at all stages to ensure the project meets its compliance requirements.

5.4. Personal data is not required or stored.

5.5. The charging infrastructure programme will not use personally identifiable data of either members of the public or the MPS (officers, staff etc). Therefore, there are no GDPR issues to be considered such as, Inclusion, diversity, and equality.

6. Equality Comments

6.1. The equality and diversity impact has been considered with no issues identified or foreseen. All select service providers will be evaluated for acceptable equality and diversity statements, as well as their ability to comply with the Equality Act 2010. The evaluation exercise will consider their ability to act as a responsible employer and meet employment obligations deemed commensurate with wider GLA objectives.

6.2. The MPS Construction Professional Services Framework is in-line with a national standard to select service providers who meet equality and diversity criteria, tendered agreement for the supply of supply of infrastructure services and associated services to the UK public sector.

6.3. Fleet Services acknowledges its responsibilities towards its staff and the members of London’s diverse communities and will engage with, and value the contributions of, communities and its partners and continue to nurture positive relationships of constructive support.

7. Background/supporting papers

7.1. The MPS report.