Transportation is the leading source of emissions in North Carolina. To reduce planet-warming fossil fuel consumption, more people will need to electrify their rides — but carbon-free vehicles are still too expensive for many households to own.
Charlotte launched Carolina Carshare on Wednesday to help more people behind the wheel of an EV without paying the hefty price tag. The program is part of Forth’s federally funded Affordable Mobility Platform. Charlotte is the 13th city to join and the first in the Southeast, according to Heather Bolick, the city's chief sustainability officer.
Mayor Vi Lyles cut the ceremonial ribbon Wednesday in front of two Chevy Bolts. The cars are parked at Peppertree Apartments — an affordable housing community on Central Avenue in one of the city’s designated low-income Corridors of Opportunity. These two vehicles are now available for residents to rent for up to 24 hours at a time.
“Forty percent of our greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, so we’re really working to decarbonize the transportation sector, and this is really one of the ways to do that,” Bolick said.
She said one Peppertree resident was already using the car to commute to his night shift when buses weren’t running. The majority of residents in the 291-unit complex don’t own a car, according to property manager Meg Martino.
The Carolina Carshare program was funded, in part, by a Biden-era Department of Energy block grant — money to help communities reduce energy use. Residents can rent the car for $5 an hour, or $50 for the day. The city is obtaining charging station permits for three other locations to expand the program: the McNeel Apartments, the Belmont Center and the Innovation Barn.
