Can Car-Sharing Culture Help Fuel an Electric Vehicle Revolution?

As Zipcar, Uber and other car- and ride-sharing programs add more EVs, they’re pushing cities to expand charging infrastructure and convincing users to go electric.

Twenty Nissan Leafs are scattered at electric charging stations across Chattanooga, Tennessee.  At first glance, the compact electric cars may seem like they're already owned, but they're actually for public use—and as easy to access as a bike share.

Users just have to download the city's electric car-sharing service Green Commuter app, get approved, and choose a vehicle.  Most are available for $7 an hour, and a few sponsored by the city's electric power board are as low as $4 an hour.

In one year the project has sparked demand for both electric vehicles and EV infrastructure, including from housing developers interested in adding charging stations, said Philip Pugliese, transportation system planner for the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), which manages the project.

"We have this goal of expanding electrification and infrastructure, and this program is giving people the opportunity to experience electric vehicles," Pugliese said.

For over a decade car-sharing companies like Zipcar have had some electric vehicles in their fleets, but U.S. demand for EVs started to surge only in the last few years as governments tried to limit greenhouse gas emissions, battery costs dropped and more models hit the market.  With China and European countries now setting electrification goals and planning to ban diesel and gas-powered vehicles within the next few decades, major automakers are scrambling to electrify their vehicles, and most U.S. cities aren't prepared.  

One way to increase U.S. demand and help cities expand EV charging infrastructure is through car-sharing and ride-sharing fleets that can introduce future car buyers to electric vehicles, said Robin Chase, co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar.

Car sharing is growing rapidly in urban areas as more people forego the hassle and expense of owning a car.  The number of car-sharing users rose more than 300 percent in North America from 2010 to 2014, according to the latest data from the University of California-Berkeley's Transportation Sustainability Research Center.  With the support of a city or transit authority, an accessible charging network and an affordable price, electric car sharing can not only make transportation more climate-friendly, it can also help drive electric vehicle adoption, Chase said.

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