Procurement category: Electric vehicles.

Environmental and social impacts targeted: Lower GHG and local air pollutant emissions; Enhanced energy security and support for EU climate neutrality goals​.

Relevant EU legislation/policy/guidance: Road transport GPP Criteria; EU tyre labelling rules; EPREL - European Product Registry for Energy Labelling

Background

Barcelona Municipal Infrastructures SA (BIMSA) is an entity responsible for urban development actions related to infrastructure and facilities, including construction, which are assigned directly or indirectly by public administrations in Barcelona, a city with a population exceeding 1.6 million. Recognizing the need to minimize environmental impacts, BIMSA aimed to transform its personnel transport to be more sustainable. The impetus for the rental of electric vehicles arose from the organization's commitment to Green Public Procurement (GPP) targets through the implementation of the mandatory municipal 2018 Vehicle Procurement instruction, which support the city's broader environmental goals. The initiative aligns with the EU's push for reduced emissions and sustainable city planning. The need for new vehicles came into focus as the previous contract ended, and a review showed the potential to decrease the fleet size and increase efficiency.

Procurement objectives

BIMSA's approach to procuring the new rental contract for vehicles was to prioritize environmental benefits without compromising the needs of mobility of their technicians, especially regarding site visits. 

One of the notable aspects of this tender is the reduction in the number of vehicles compared to the previous contract, going from six to two. This decision is the result of a needs assessment process, with analysis of the vehicle usage regime conducted. The following observations were made:

• The usual use of cars is by technicians who need to go to construction sites or meetings with builders, typically in the city of Barcelona. These meetings can take place at any time within the regular working hours (from 09:00 to 18:30) and may involve distances ranging from 8km to 50km.
• The estimated mileage per vehicle in a 48-month contract is between 4,000 and 6,000 total kilometers (1,000 to 1,500 kilometers annually), so it was possible to reduce the active fleet from 6 vehicles to 2 vehicles.
• Authorized employees who need to travel can also make use of public transportation, as well as the use of the municipal bike-sharing scheme (Bicing) and this will be encouraged.
• It is also possible for BIMSA to join the Taxi Service Framework Agreement of the Barcelona City Council. This provides an additional fleet of vehicles, some of them electric, for employees to make use of in work-related trips under specific circumstances (e.g. when more than two work-related visits overlap, and no other transportation alternatives are available.

The needs assessment was followed by market consultations, including assessment of the feasibility of the green criteria. 

Tender requirements

An open award procedure was chosen, with the tender awarded on a most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) approach. The MEAT criteria were designed to encourage offerings that would have a significant range, fast charging capabilities, and a guarantee on battery life and performance that not only meet but potentially exceed standard requirements.

Technical specifications

Energy efficiency: Vehicles with an energy consumption exceeding 18 kWh per 100 kilometers (kWh/100km) will automatically be disqualified from the procurement process.

• Verification - Bidders must provide the vehicle's Technical Data Sheet or a Certificate of Conformity, along with data from the IDAE (Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving) website, to verify their claims about the vehicle's energy consumption. In case of discrepancies, the IDAE data will prevail.

Tyre classification 

A minimum classification of "C" according to European regulations and tyre label is required for tyres.

• Verification - declaration of responsibility and commitment to maintain this category for the duration of the contract. It is mandatory to correctly identify the models of the tyres installed in the declaration, including presentation of their "Tyre Identifier" and "product sheet" from the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling. 

Battery range and charging capacity

Vehicles were required to have a minimum battery range of 250km, a charging time of 120 km in 60-90 minutes and 100% in a maximum of 12 hours. In addition, the minimum useful life of the battery must be 8 years or 1,000 charge cycles and must maintain 75% charge capacity after 8 years or 150,000 km.

• Verification - Technical Data Sheet of the Vehicle or the Certificate of Conformity of the model must be presented in addition to the "Technical Information" sheet of the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving web page of the models offered. In case of discrepancies, the IDAE data will prevail. 

Award Criteria

Energy efficiency and savings

The vehicle with the lowest energy consumption among all bids receives the highest score. Other vehicles are scored based on how closely their energy consumption matches the most efficient option, encouraging competition among bidders to offer the most energy-efficient vehicles.

• Verification – technical data, as presented for the technical specification on Energy efficiency.

Efficiency and noise level of tyres

Maximum score was given to bidders who offered tyres labelled as "A" class under the EU Energy Label. Tyres labelled as “B” class would obtain half of the maximum score. No score was given for the minimum "C" class requested in the Technical Specification. 

• Verification - It was mandatory to correctly identify the models of the tyres installed in the declaration, as well as providing their "Tyre Identifier". Also, the "product sheet" from the EPREL database had to be presented. If the characteristics of the tyre could not be compared with the references in the declaration, the score for this section was 0. 

Battery range

A range greater than the minimum requested in the Technical Specification (250 km) was positively assessed in relation to the lower dependence on the frequency of the need to recharge and the savings in the time it took to do so. The highest score was given to the offer of the vehicle with the greatest range from the set of vehicle offers received from the bidders. The rest of the scores were given in proportion to this.

• Verification – Use of technical data presented (see technical specifications for battery range and charging capacity.

Award criteria overview and weightings

Contract Performance Conditions

Energy efficiency

The energy consumption figure (kWh/100km) submitted in the bid becomes a binding contractual commitment. The service provider is responsible for ensuring the vehicles offered meet the specified tender requirements, based on the manufacturer's claims. Should these claims be found inaccurate, the service provider must facilitate the resolution process, including vehicle replacement or other compensatory actions, ensuring bidders are accountable for their energy efficiency claims.

Efficiency and noise level of tyres

The offered tyre category became a contractual obligation, failure to comply may result in the imposition of penalties. 

Battery range and capacity

The offered battery range and capacity became a contractual obligation. The service provider is responsible for ensuring the batteries perform to the submitted specification, based on the manufacturer's claims. Should these claims be found inaccurate, the service provider must facilitate the resolution process, including replacement or other compensatory actions.

Results

The winning bidder provided two vehicles, with the following characteristics:

Impacts

Public health impact:

The tender has a social impact by improving urban living conditions. Reducing the vehicle fleet contributes to easing traffic congestion. Furthermore, the shift to electric vehicles with efficient tyres is expected to result in cleaner air and less noise pollution, which can have a direct positive effect on public health. 

Environmental:

The main environmental impact addressed by this procurement is the reduction of local pollution, noise and greenhouse gas emissions from municipal transport, both scope 1 and 2 GHG during the use of the vehicles, thanks to the shift to electricity, and scope 3 GHG during the manufacturing by renting 2 vehicles instead of the previous 6. By shifting to electric vehicles and reducing the fleet size, BIMSA has taken a significant step in decreasing its carbon footprint. If similar strategies were adopted by other authorities, the cumulative effect would be a considerable reduction in transport-related emissions, contributing to cleaner urban environments.

Procuring electric vehicles (EVs) that consume less electricity per 100 kilometers (kWh/100km), aiming for models that are more efficient and cost-effective in terms of energy use, not only saves money on electricity but also lessens the environmental footprint by reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

Economic:

Economically, the tender offers both immediate and long-term benefits. The reduction in the number of vehicles leads to substantial cost savings in maintenance, fuel, and overall operational expenses. By fostering a competitive market for green technologies, the tender also encourages innovation and could lead to reduced costs for electric vehicles as the technology matures and demand increases. Moreover, with a clear four-year contract and defined performance expectations, BIMSA is able to predict and manage its budget effectively.

Lessons learned

Two main lessons arise from this case study:

• Even in recurrent contracts, its necessary to evaluate what are the real needs. In this case, it was not to have 6 cars available to the technicians, but to cover their mobility needs.
• The needs assessment and market consultations showed there was an added value in using multiple award criteria for procuring vehicles, especially light vehicles, whether electric or not.

More information

For more information, contact the Office of Climate Change and Sustainability, Barcelona City Council, view the tender documents or read the news report.