FDOT EVSE RFI 6_6_2022.pdf

RFI Shell07/2018

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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) from the Florida Dept. of Transportation

This RFI is being issued by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to solicit feedback and recommendations for the planning, coordination, and development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure within the State of Florida. The FDOT is currently developing a Statewide EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan, which is in response to the recent The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program Guidance authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). As such, the purpose of this RFI is to collect input from potential market participants across varying sectors to obtain information on how to best support the deployment for direct current fast charge (DCFC) electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

Background According to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidance for the NEVI formula program under the BIL, Florida can expect to receive $198 million in federal funding between 2022-2026. While formula funds are essentially guaranteed for each state, the BIL requires each state DOT to submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan which details how the NEVI formula funds will be utilized consistent with FHWA guidance on developing charging networks along designated alternative fuel corridors (AFC’s). Responses from this RFI will be used to inform FDOT’s Statewide EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan as well as future competitive solicitations.

Respondents are requested to not provide proposals or marketing material and should instead focus on providing detailed answers to the questions in this RFI. Respondents may also choose to abstain from answering questions that may not be relevant to them. Furthermore, the purpose of this RFI is for information-gathering purposes only; FDOT will not select a vendor for DCFC EVSE deployment based on responses to this RFI. No contracts will result from this RFI.

Information Requested:

General

1. Please describe your organization’s involvement and experience with DCFC infrastructure.

What are your long-term EV plans? How many chargers and/or charging stations are you able to build, install, and/or maintain on an annual basis?

2. Where does your organization see the biggest opportunities for the utilization of NEVI funds? This could be in terms of innovative technology solutions, partnerships, and/or targeting geographic locations.

3. What are the biggest challenges or barriers that should be addressed to expedite reaching the goals of the NEVI program?

Site Location

4. Please describe what you believe makes an ideal DCFC location including amenities as well as any risk factors that should be considered. How would you rank the relative importance of these factors?

5. Please describe your process, including market research, land use requirements, and business development opportunities for determining a DCFC site location.

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6. What do you think the DCFC site of the future looks like? Will location to amenities be as important or will micromobility be used to get to the amenities? What innovations/disrupters are coming?

Partnerships and Business Models

7. Please explain any previous partnerships regarding EV infrastructure your organization has had including which parties initiated the outreach and what, if any, contracting mechanisms were used. These should include public and private entities as well as utility owners.

8. Describe what makes a successful business model and partnership. Also, please describe threats that can lead to a business and partnership’s failure. These can be examples from current and/or previous partnerships.

9. Please provide your organization’s viewpoints on contracting methods for DCFC infrastructure, including leasing and/or revenue sharing agreements. Have you implemented any cost/revenue sharing models for the operation of DCFC EVSE? If yes, please share what you can about the terms of those partnerships.

10. Does Florida have the workforce required to operate and maintain DCFC EVSE charging sites? If not, please describe what you think is required to develop it.

Equipment

11. On average, how long does it take to install a DCFC from start to finish? This includes site determination, design, permitting, site preparation, utilities, and installation.

12. Are you currently able to meet the requirements of Buy America for DCFC infrastructure projects? If not, please explain your plans to meet the requirements and any potential issues.

13. Are there any components required for DCFC infrastructure that are in short supply that could delay the goals of the NEVI program? Please describe what steps you have taken or what processes you have implemented to ensure the continuity of your supply chain.

14. Please describe how your organization mitigates cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Is this consistent with industry standards? If not, where are the differences? Do you follow national cybersecurity standards including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework? Do you comply with Florida’s 60GG-2 for ensuring the security of your infrastructure? What other technologies do you offer for an end-to-end secured operation?

Operation, Maintenance and Data Sharing

15. What are your current or planned fee structures (time-based, energy-based, power-based, etc.) and what payment mechanism do you accept? Please explain any issues you have encountered or identified.

16. Describe the typical maintenance for your organization’s EVSE infrastructure as well as the maintenance schedule including any required hardware and software updates. Please include the typical lifecycle for your DCFC and what performance measurements are monitored.

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17. How would your EVSE share data to a FDOT sponsored central data repository? What type(s) of data can you provide?

18. What should FDOT do to ensure the end-users of EVSE infrastructure have the most convenient and reliable charging experience? Please include how emergency evacuations and power outages should be addressed.

Strategies for Low Utilization

19. FDOT is looking to provide DCFC in rural and disadvantaged communities that may have a lower return on investment and is interested in how to make these projects more desirable to potential applications. What strategies can FDOT utilize to encourage deployment of DCFC EVSE into rural, underserved, or disadvantaged communities? When answering please include information on driving factors.

a. Guaranteed number of projects for economies of scale

b. Short term operation and maintenance agreements (5 years or less)

c. Long term operation and maintenance agreements (longer than 5 years)

d. Any others?

20. To increase utilization rates to rural, underserved, or disadvantages communities what considerations or innovation solutions should be considered?

Specific Information Requested

Interested vendors may respond to some or all the following topics, based on their proposed role in the creation of a DCFC EVSE network:

1. Summary of Experience

FDOT is interested in a summary that describes your organization’s experience with DCFC EVSE.

2. System Block Diagram

FDOT is interested in a high-level system block diagram that illustrates all components and connections required to create the proposed system.

3. Hardware Information

FDOT is interested in datasheets and technical specifications for components included and required to create a typical DCFC system.

4. Software Information

FDOT is interested in information on software components included and needed to create a typical DCFC system.

5. Maintenance Plan FDOT is interested to know about the maintenance services and typical maintenance schedule for DCFC infrastructure.

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6. Project Approach

FDOT is interested in the approach that your organization would take to deliver the DCFC EVSE.

The Department may exercise the choice to invite each vendor that responds to the questions above to meet and discuss the information provided in more detail.

Please Email Responses to: Co.Purch@dot.state.fl.us Subject Line: DOT-RFI-22-9114-PB Please note there is a 25MB limit on emails received by the Department.

Please provide one copy of the response to this RFI on a non-returnable flash drive.

Contact for Questions or clarification:

Please email Paul Baker at co.purch@dot.state.fl.us with any questions or comments

The requested information must be received by 5:00 pm (EST) on June 28, 2022.

Send to: The Department of Transportation Attention: Paul Baker Subject: DCFC EVSE Mailing Address:605 Suwannee Street, MS20, Tallahassee, FL 32399

PLEASE NOTE:

1) Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) will be reviewed by the agency for informational purposes and will not be considered as offers to be accepted by the agency to form a binding contract.

2) The Department may contact respondents that respond to the questions to discuss product information in further detail.

3) Information obtained in response to this RFI is public record as defined by Chapter 119, Florida Statutes (F.S.).

4) In accordance with Section 287.057, F.S., information obtained in response to this RFI may be used to develop scope and solicitation documents for future procurements at the discretion of the Department. Respondents eligible to respond to this RFI will remain eligible for any subsequent related contract with the agency.

5) Advertisement of any subsequent competitive solicitation that may result from this RFI will be posted on the Florida Vendor Bid System.

If the responses to this RFI are subject to non-disclosure, then the Proposer must include any materials it asserts to be exempted from the public disclosure under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, in a separate bound document labeled “Confidential Materials”. The proposer must identify the specific Statute that authorizes exemption from the Public Records Lay. Any claim to confidentiality on materials the Proposer asserts to be exempt from public disclosure and placed elsewhere in the proposal will be considered waived by the Proposer upon submission, effective after opening.

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