The third round of the pre-approval process is now open

HOURCAR has announced a pre-approval application process for the third application round to begin identifying potential site hosts interested in joining the program. The application has a priority deadline of August 31st, 2023, and a final deadline of December 31st, 2023.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded funding to the American Lung Association, in our role implementing the Minnesota Clean Cities Coalition, to support several projects that expand access to electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. One component of this effort builds out electric vehicle charging equipment at multifamily housing locations. In addition, the project supports the co-location of shared EVs, available for use by the residents.

The EV carsharing component will provide access to electric vehicles for those who may not be able to currently afford one and those who choose not to own a vehicle. There is extra support for income-restricted and mixed-income sites. This project will demonstrate innovative approaches to making the benefits of electrified transportation more widely available to all.

To address a major barrier, this pilot includes the installation of necessary infrastructure for vehicle charging. At select locations, HOURCAR – the Twin Cities’ nonprofit carsharing organization – will provide and manage electric vehicles that will be available for use exclusively by that site’s residents. For this round, up to twenty site hosts interested in offering electric vehicle carsharing (and optional charging services) to residents at one or more of their properties will be selected. Each applicant can submit up to five proposed sites for consideration.

Learn more about the multifamily EV carshare program and how to apply on HOURCAR’s website or by contacting us.

* Support provided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Office of Vehicle Technologies Award Number DE-EE0009226.