The City of Los Angeles and its community partners have been awarded a $1.6 million grant by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for a pilot project that provides EV carsharing options in low-income communities.
The electric carsharing program will provide 100 electric and hybrid cars for residents to use in South LA, Westlake District, Pico Union and Koreatown.
The carsharing program will allow residents to sign up for an annual membership fee or pay by the hour each time they use the car. The costs are still being determined, but officials say fees will be about half the cost of using Uber or Lyft.
This type of program will be essential in helping California reach its ambitious climate goals to put 1.5 million electric vehicles on the road by 2025, cut petroleum use by half by 2030, and make real progress in Los Angeles’ Sustainable City Plan.
“Our EV car sharing pilot is a perfect example of how our State’s Cap and Trade dollars should be put to work: providing transportation options for Angelenos in need, and helping us achieve our clean air goals outlined in my Sustainable City pLAn,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “I commend Senator Kevin de León’s leadership in creating the Charge Ahead program and thank CARB for selecting L.A. for this important grant.”
The program begins in November with hopes to expand to other communities in the future.
