Low-Cost Electric Carshare Program Launched In Charlotte

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Some years ago, after attending several electric vehicle ride-and-drive events, it became clear that members of the public who could see, touch, ride in, or drive an electric vehicle while having their questions answered were much more positive about EVs. Attendee sentiment was measured with a post-event follow up questionnaire. The majority of respondents indicated they had experienced a boost in positivity toward EVs from attending the events. 

EV car-sharing programs are another way to provide people with EV experiences they might not be able to access or not choose to access on their own.

Stan Cross, Electric Transportation Director at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, answered some questions about a new Charlotte carsharing program for CleanTechnica.

What is Carolina Carshare, who is behind it, and how did it start?

Charlotte, NC, is one of just 13 cities nationwide and the only city in the Southeast selected to receive grant funding through the national Community Car Share pilot Affordable Mobility Platform (AMP), a program developed and managed by Forth to increase transportation access for residents in affordable housing while reducing carbon emissions in underserved communities. The Charlotte project, branded Carolina Carshare, is supported by a coalition of national and local partners, including the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the City of Charlotte, Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition, Envision Charlotte, and affordable housing developers Ascent Housing and DreamKey Partners. The program will maintain, manage, and provide charging for the vehicles to ensure long-term usability and affordability, with the goal of scaling Carolina Carshare to affordable housing communities across Charlotte and North Carolina. 

Charlotte was selected to host the regional EV carshare pilot due to the City’s commitment to advancing sustainability and delivering its benefits to all communities. Not only does bringing EV carsharing and charging infrastructure to affordable housing apartments provides moderate and low-income communities with the awareness of and access to the lower pollution and cost benefits that EVs offer, it also provides apartment residents with access to convenient on-property charging stations to support EV ownership at a time when affordable used EVs are increasingly available.

Who will use it?

AMP was developed to provide EV access for residents of affordable housing apartments and the surrounding communities. In the case of Carolina Carshare, each site was selected to support AMP’s intent. We collaborated with the City of Charlotte to vet housing developers committed to Carolina Carshare’s long-term success, and to identify developments located along robust transit routes, allowing the carshare to fill mobility gaps for transit users. 

How many electric vehicles will be in the program, and how will the riders schedule their rides?

Each of the four Carolina carshare sites will have two EVs as well as charging stations for the carshare vehicles. Three of the four sites will have two additional charging stations for residents or community members who own EVs. Riders schedule rides through an app. The app enables them to view vehicle availability, book rides, operate the charging stations, and access the cars. 

Which electric vehicles will be used?

We are using Chevy Bolts with a 259-mile range. The Bolts are readily available and affordable on the used market, which is good for the program’s bottom line and demonstrates the increasing accessibility of EV ownership to apartment residents and the surrounding communities.  

What is the cost per rider and per ride?

Riders pay $5.00 per hour with a maximum out-of-pocket of $50 per day. This covers the use of the car, electricity, and insurance. Charging the EVs at the apartment complex is easy and convenient. Riders can reserve and use vehicles for daily errands, medical appointments, and commutes without the high cost of car ownership.

How will the program support EV adoption?

A top barrier to EV adoption is the lack of consumer awareness of the benefits EVs provide, including a quiet, high-performance, emissions-free ride and lower operational costs due to running on cheaper electricity and requiring significantly less maintenance than gas cars. The carshare model gets a lot of butts in EV seats, increasing awareness for riders and the family and friends they share their EV experience with, while showcasing the affordability of used EVs today.  

Will it also support EV charging?

Yes, it will. Access to convenient, reliable, and affordable home charging supports EV adoption, as approximately 80% of charging is done at home, making home charging more critical than any other type of charging. Yet, consumers who live in multi-family dwellings such as apartments and condos most often lack access to home charging. Because multi-family developers typically do not install EV chargers during new construction, and retrofitting existing properties with EV chargers is costly, home charging access at multi-family dwellings has become a significant challenge to achieving mass-market EV adoption. That is why the AMP program allocated funds to deploy additional EV chargers for apartment residents to use. By doing so, the program provides residents with access to home charging while demonstrating the value of future-proofing affordable housing developments to meet growing EV demand, whether by installing EV chargers or ensuring that new developments are built EV-ready.