Downtown all-electric car share aligns with city’s transportation goals
All-Electric Car Share Aligns with City Transportation Goals
A new mobility option is rolling into a downtown city parking garage. Beginning today, an all-electric shared vehicle will be available to Colorado CarShare members at the 1500 Pearl parking garage.
“We are thrilled to partner with Colorado CarShare to offer an all-electric shared vehicle to our community,” said Director of Transportation and Mobility Erika Vandenbrande. “We’re working to build a mobility future that’s connected, shared and electric. This effort is a glimpse into that future.”
The shared electric vehicle is a new addition to the fleet of shared cars in Boulder. Colorado CarShare offers more than 50 vehicles in the Denver metro area, including several hybrid and electric vehicle options in Boulder.
When it comes to reducing transportation emissions, there’s no one-size-fits all solution. We’re moving forward on several fronts, including electrification, investing in transit, supporting microtransit and exploring the benefits of car sharing.”
- Director of Transportation and Mobility Erika VandenbrandeHow the Program Works
The City of Boulder is providing one reserved parking spot to Colorado CarShare. Colorado CarShare will pay the costs to charge the electric vehicle and will pay one-third of the costs for the vehicle’s annual parking pass. The city will fund the remaining portion of the parking pass.
Colorado CarShare members will reserve the car, pay associated rental fees and return the car to the same spot. Sign up to become a member at: https://carshare.org/sign-up/.
“We thank the City of Boulder for supporting car share,” said Colorado CarShare CEO Peter Krahenbuhl. “Downtown Boulder is a great location to demonstrate the benefits of a car-light lifestyle. Since one car share vehicle replaces up to13 individually owned vehicles, using a fully electric shared car amplifies those benefits.”
The new electric CarShare station at the 1500 Pearl parking garage adds another sustainable travel option to the garage’s four existing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, with four fast EV chargers planned for installation this fall. The recently completed on-site rooftop solar panels help power the building’s garage, commercial spaces and the EV chargers.
“The City of Boulder is working to make it easier for our downtown visitors and employees to reduce their carbon footprints and expand access to our most popular commercial areas, while meeting the city’s climate impact goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said City of Boulder Community Vitality Deputy Director Cris Jones. “This effort requires collaboration and commitment from many partners.”
“When it comes to reducing transportation emissions, there’s no one-size-fits all solution,” said Vandenbrande. “We’re moving forward on several fronts, including electrification, investing in transit, supporting microtransit and, in projects like this, exploring the potential of car sharing.”
Find an EV Charger Near You
- Complete list of city-operated charging stations
- Map of charging stations available across the state (maintained by the Colorado Energy Office)
About Colorado CarShare
Colorado CarShare is the state’s first and only nonprofit carshare organization. Colorado CarShare’s mission is to empower the community to live a car-free lifestyle and have a positive impact on our health, wealth, and shared environment. They aim to make Colorado a “cooler,” healthier, and more socially equitable place to live. This includes setting the goal to become the country’s first nonprofit EV carshare program, while providing subsidies to low-to-mixed income communities that are typically underserved when it comes to affordable mobility options.