VW subsidiary Electrify America and the City of Sacramento have announced several new projects, including infrastructure for two new car sharing services, new electric bus and shuttle routes. Overall, Electrify America will be investing $800 million in EV infrastructure and services in California over the next 10 years.
The new projects include:
- Car sharing – Electrify America will invest between $15 and $18 million to launch two ZEV car share services that complement each other with different service areas. GIG Car Share will offer “free floating” service, allowing users to pick up and drop off vehicles at any public parking spot within a 13-square-mile home zone. GIG will launch with 260 vehicles, each with a roof-mounted bike rack, in Q1 2019. Envoy will be a community-based car share service based at apartment buildings. The Envoy fleet will feature 142 vehicles in pairs across 71 locations, each with a dedicated Level 2 charger. Envoy is designed to provide transportation for drivers running errands or participating in the gig economy, and will begin offering service by the end of summer 2018. 70-75 percent of the areas served by both car sharing services are in low-income or disadvantaged communities.
- ZEV bus/shuttle services – Electrify America will invest between $11 and $14 million in a zero-emission bus service and an on-demand micro-shuttle service. It will also install DC fast charging stations to power each service.
- Electric bus service – Electrify America will enhance bus service between UC Davis and Sacramento with 12 new electric buses that will run from the main campus to the UC Davis Health campus in Sacramento. The improved service is expected to add more than 400,000 bus rides in the first year of operation.
- On-demand electric shuttle service – Electrify America will provide funding for an on-demand micro-transit shuttle service that will be operated by Sacramento Regional Transit. SacRT plans to launch the new service in July, and expects it to provide about 26,000 rides in its first year.
“Our partnership with Electrify America is a key piece of the City of Sacramento’s effort to become a national center for testing and development of alternative and autonomous vehicle technologies,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “Just as importantly, the new shuttles and car services connect this new technology to our neighborhoods by increasing mobility options for residents, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.”
Source: Electrify America