ComEd is partnering with Innova EV and the Bronzeville Community Development Partnership to test a unique electric vehicle transportation service that will help seniors in Bronzeville get to and from the grocery store, public transit stations, the pharmacy, and other neighborhood destinations.
The ComEd Innova Dash EV Pilot is part of the Community of the Future initiative in the Chicago South Side neighborhood where the power company is collaborating with residents to leverage smart grid technology and related services to support the community’s sustainability goals and enhance everyday life.
“Our work with the Bronzeville Community continues to present an exciting opportunity for us to invest in people and technology to create a ”community of the future” – connected, custom, affordable and sustainable – an undertaking that adds to Bronzeville’ s long history of innovation and citizen engagement,” says Melissa Washington, vice president of External Affairs and Large Customer Services for ComEd.
The zero-emission Innova Dash vehicle, with driver, will transport seniors within an area bordered by 35th street to the north, 53rd street on the south and between Cottage Grove Avenue on the east and State Street on the west.
The first phase of the pilot includes one vehicle which will be available to residents of the TRC Senior Village at 346 E 53rd St. Rides cost $3.
The ComEd Dash EV Pilot is also designed to create awareness for electric vehicles and create jobs for Bronzeville residents who will be hired and trained by Innova EV to drive the Dash.
The Innova EV Dash is a 100 percent electric vehicle. The car has a range of 150 miles per charge of its lithium-ion battery and a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour. The Dash is an IoT (Internet of Things) connected vehicles with more than 40 built-in sensors that collect data about the car’s performance and ridership statistics.
In early 2018, a five-passenger vehicle that is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act will be added to the service. There are Dash cars in various stages of testing on college campuses, such as the University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, Ohio State and at the Metra station in Itasca.
Roman Kuropas, founder and chief executive officer of InnovaEV, recently brought the Dash electric vehicle to the ComEd Training Center for the Bronzeville International Summit where he talked about the car’s features and drove it for the attendees.
