Ready to lease or purchase a new vehicle? Departments have a couple of options available to them. The decision to lease or buy is an important one. The lease or buy decision must take into consideration the following criteria:
- Technical and operational useful life of the item(s)
- Likelihood of continued use beyond the lease term
- Budget - all fees associated with the purchase, lease, registration, inspection, insurance, fuel, tolls, and maintenance are the requesting department’s responsibility.
- Financing terms (term, cost of borrowing)
Most new vehicle purchases must also consider Executive Order 594 (Leading by Example: Decarbonizing and Minimizing Environmental Impacts of State Government).
Starting in fiscal year 2025, all acquisitions of vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 14,000 pounds or less, must be Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV). Starting in fiscal year 2030, all acquisitions of vehicles with a GVWR of more than 14,000 pounds must be ZEVs. Agencies shall strive to support the goals enumerated in this Order as quickly and to the greatest extent possible. In meeting the zero emission vehicle targets in Section 2 [of the Order], fleets subject to this section shall prioritize the acquisition of ZEVs without any internal combustion engines, including, but not limited to, battery electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles.
Vehicle Procurement Options: Enterprise Fleet Services
The university has a partnership with Enterprise fleet management for departmental vehicle leases. To inquire about inventory and delivery schedules, please contact:
Client Strategy Manager
David McNally
508-688-2569
email: David.J.McNally@efleets.com
Nicole LaBrack
781-553-5363
email: Nicole.J.LaBrack@efleets.com
Enterprise can assist you in finding a vehicle but may also assist you with the acquisition of a locally sourced vehicle.
Operational Services Division (OSD) State Contract
There are several vendors on the Massachusetts OSD state contract list. Departments can contact these contracted vendors directly to inquire about inventory and pricing:
- VEH110 – Light and Medium-Duty Vehicles
- VEH111 – Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Road Maintenance and Construction Equipment
UPST Strategic Sourcing
The Unified Procurement Services Team (UPST) can assist you with sourcing a new vehicle via a public Request for Proposal (RFP) process. This process is valid for leasing or purchasing/ financing. UPST will pair departments with a strategic sourcing specialist who will assist with the bid process.
Additional Vehicle Requirements
Once a vehicle is leased or purchased, please contact Fleet Management by email: transportation_services@uml.edu for assistance with the following required tasks:
- Vehicle registration & titling
- Gas card/ChargePoint card
- Insuring – optional unless vehicle is leased, or vehicle will be leaving the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Inspection
- Installation of necessary graphics
- UMass Lowell logo and department name
- Vehicle identifiers
- Driver training, if necessary
Electric Vehicle Incentive Opportunities
Many incentive opportunities are available when purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle which help defray the cost of acquiring a new vehicle. Two commonly available incentives are:
- Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incident Program (MassEVIP) for light-duty vehicles
- Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) for all vehicle types
Please note that incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis until available funding is spent.