RCTA board approves Mobility House contract for Williams Drive charge management system

The Redwood Coast Transit Authority board voted to award a contract to Mobility House for a charge management system at the Williams Drive facility, not to exceed $29,083, and authorized the executive director to execute the agreement.

Staff said the system combines hardware and software to manage yard charging for electric buses, including peak shaving and scheduling to use lower‑cost energy hours. Staff told the board five firms responded to the RFP and that an independent panel (including the maintenance manager and two Caltrans innovation/technology consultants) scored Mobility House highest.

Staff described Mobility House as a 16‑year‑old company that began in Munich and has deployments globally and regionally, including work with school districts and transit agencies. The recommended system is charger‑agnostic, includes a local controller to maintain charging during Internet or power outages, and features a web portal to monitor charger status remotely. Staff said the procurement emphasized interoperability and redundancy and noted fiber‑optic hard‑wiring from chargers to the maintenance office to avoid reliance on cellular networks.

A board member moved to award the agreement and the motion passed on a unanimous roll‑call vote from Directors Altman, Borges, Short and Chairman Wright.

Staff said the system will help control utility expenses as the agency adds electric buses and will provide flexibility to work with different charger manufacturers as equipment is procured.