History
2005-2017
HOURCAR has been changing the way Minneapolis and Saint Paul get around since 2005. HOURCAR originally launched as a project under the Neighborhood Energy Connection (now the Center for Energy and Environment).
In 2011, HOURCAR partnered with Xcel Energy and the City of Saint Paul to pilot plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. This project was retired upon lease closure.
From 2014-2015, HOURCAR participated in the City of Minneapolis On-Street Carshare Pilot Program, providing additional access to more vehicles in some of the highest demand neighborhoods in Minneapolis. The pilot program expired in 2015.
In 2017, HOURCAR spun off from the CEE and became its own, fully independent, nonprofit organization.
2019-Current
In February 2019, HOURCAR announced a unique partnership in a new, landmark electric vehicle transportation network with the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, amongst others. Originally known as the Twin Cities Electric Vehicle Mobility Network, on May 13, 2022 new branding and project development launched the EV Spot Network, the western hemisphere’s largest renewably-powered electric vehicle charging and carshare network.
2019-2022
On December 9, 2019 (weeks before COVID closures began), HOURCAR launched pilot operations in the City of Rochester; expanding its operations beyond those in the Twin Cities for the first-time ever. After nearly three years of operations, HOURCAR ended pilot operations in August 2022.
2022-Current
In August 2022, HOURCAR launched the Multifamily Project in partnership with Xcel Energy, American Lung Association, and East Metro Strong. The Multifamily Project will bring hub-based electric vehicle access to low-income and market-rate apartment buildings around the Twin Cities.
HOURCAR prides itself as being a member of the Minnesota community, driving transformational transportation options where we work, live, and play. We celebrate the diversity of our team and our community and are always working to reflect the values of our community. To date, HOURCAR has a fleet of 50 hub-based ICE, hybrid, and electric shared vehicles in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, operates over 150 all-electric, free-floating, renewably-powered vehicles for the Evie Carshare service, a part of the EV Spot Network. By 2024, HOURCAR will offer nearly 100 ICE, Hybrid, and Electric vehicles under the HOURCAR name, in addition to operations of over 170 electric vehicles under the Evie Carshare service.
Mission
HOURCAR is a local shared-mobility nonprofit organization. We connect people to their communities with convenient, equitable, and sustainable multimodal transportation.
Values
We value sustainability, integrity, freedom, and equity. We strive to be helpful, imaginative, respectful, and effective.
We value socially and environmentally balanced and sustainable lifestyles.
We value a responsible decision-making process informed by data, community input, and our values.
We value the freedom to move within our communities, make new connections, and seek new experiences.
We value a fair transportation system that expands possibilities and enables more people to get where they need to go.
We do whatever we can to get our members where they need to go.
We generate new, unconventional ideas and bring them from concept to reality.
We promote reciprocal respect between our staff, members, and community.
We use adaptable methods to achieve measurable goals. We evaluate our processes and ourselves in the pursuit of continuous improvement.
Our Board
Principal: The Forward Curve
The vast majority of Kevin’s work life has been spent in the energy sector, mostly in the gas and electric utility industry. His career has focused on product development, business operations, business planning and large technology project management. Currently he is Principal at The Forward Curve LLC, a locally based consulting firm. The Forward Curve provides niche services to some of the largest gas and electric utilities across the country. These services focus on helping clients deliver excellence in energy efficiency, distributed energy services and smart grid applications.
Senior Research Analyst: Piper Sandler Investment Bank
A principal and senior equity research analyst at Piper Sandler (formerly Piper Jaffray), Alex covers truck- and auto-related companies listed on the U.S. exchanges. Prior to joining Piper Sandler in early 2008, Potter worked as a Beijing-based consultant to the World Bank, Energy Foundation, and various other international organizations. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and holds degrees from St. Olaf College (bachelor’s degree, Asian studies) and the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management (Master of Business Administration). Potter was a 2003 Fulbright Scholar at Peking University’s College of Environmental Sciences.
Executive Director: East Metro Strong
Will is the Executive Director of East Metro Strong, a public-private partnership between counties, cities, and large employers in the eastern half of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region. East Metro Strong works for public transit and sustainable transportation options that equitably improve quality of life, economic opportunity, and climate resilience, for all East Metro residents and businesses
Lead Director, Energy Access & Equity: Fresh Energy
Anjali joined Fresh Energy in November 2019 after spending five years in the solar industry, where she witnessed how federal and local policies shape market deployment. Most recently she worked at Sol Systems as its first dedicated project developer, where she secured permits and interconnection rights for five solar power plants in Maryland and Virginia while also leading its Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Prior to Sol she was a founding member of SunEdison’s rotation program, supporting the project finance and asset management teams. These experiences bolster her commitment to pragmatic and equitable clean energy policy. In September, 2021, Anjali stepped into a new role at Fresh Energy as our new Lead Director of Energy Access & Equity.
Anjali is a Clean Energy Leadership Institute fellow and graduated from Columbia University with a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Engineering. An avid cinephile, she enjoys studying filmmaking, writing, and exploring near and far-flung places on foot or by transit.
McKnight Distinguished Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering Department: University of Minnesota
Saif is an internationally renowned leader in the field of operations management and supply chains. He is currently Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota (one of the highest recognitions for a faculty member at the University of Minnesota). He is Director of the Initiative on the Sharing Economy, a university-wide initiative with participation from faculty in management, engineering, public policy, industrial ecology, and law. He is also Director of the Center for Supply Chain Research, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Senior Faculty Scholar at the Center for Transportation Studies, and Fellow of the Institute on the Environment. He was the founding Head of Pillar (at the rank of Dean) for Engineering Systems and Design at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), a new university established in collaboration with MIT. He was also Founding Director of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Minnesota (formerly the Program in Industrial and Systems Engineering) which he led through a transformation from a small graduate program into a full-fledged department.
Cofounder: Hitch Health
in healthcare through inspirational leadership. She possesses extensive strategy and product experience in the healthcare and financial services industry, as well as expertise in emerging strategies, innovation, and business and product development.
Susan Jepson joined HCMC in 2015 and co-founded Upstream Health Innovations. Upstream Health Innovations leverages a methodology called human-centered design. This research and design methodology develops solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process to gain deep insights.
She is also the co-founder of Hitch Health, a patent-pending, proprietary software solution that integrates the Electronic Health Record and rideshare services, seamlessly removing transportation barriers and reducing “no show” rates by automatically syncing ride requests with medical appointments.
The vast majority of Kevin’s work life has been spent in the energy sector, mostly in the gas and electric utility industry. His career has focused on product development, business operations, business planning and large technology project management. Currently he is Principal at The Forward Curve LLC, a locally based consulting firm. The Forward Curve provides niche services to some of the largest gas and electric utilities across the country. These services focus on helping clients deliver excellence in energy efficiency, distributed energy services and smart grid applications.
A principal and senior equity research analyst at Piper Sandler (formerly Piper Jaffray), Alex covers truck- and auto-related companies listed on the U.S. exchanges. Prior to joining Piper Sandler in early 2008, Potter worked as a Beijing-based consultant to the World Bank, Energy Foundation, and various other international organizations. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and holds degrees from St. Olaf College (bachelor’s degree, Asian studies) and the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management (Master of Business Administration). Potter was a 2003 Fulbright Scholar at Peking University’s College of Environmental Sciences.
Will is the Executive Director of East Metro Strong, a public-private partnership between counties, cities, and large employers in the eastern half of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region. East Metro Strong works for public transit and sustainable transportation options that equitably improve quality of life, economic opportunity, and climate resilience, for all East Metro residents and businesses
Anjali joined Fresh Energy in November 2019 after spending five years in the solar industry, where she witnessed how federal and local policies shape market deployment. Most recently she worked at Sol Systems as its first dedicated project developer, where she secured permits and interconnection rights for five solar power plants in Maryland and Virginia while also leading its Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Prior to Sol she was a founding member of SunEdison’s rotation program, supporting the project finance and asset management teams. These experiences bolster her commitment to pragmatic and equitable clean energy policy. In September, 2021, Anjali stepped into a new role at Fresh Energy as our new Lead Director of Energy Access & Equity.
Anjali is a Clean Energy Leadership Institute fellow and graduated from Columbia University with a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Engineering. An avid cinephile, she enjoys studying filmmaking, writing, and exploring near and far-flung places on foot or by transit.
Saif Benjafaar
McKnight Distinguished Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, University of Minnesota
Saif is an internationally renowned leader in the field of operations management and supply chains. He is currently Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota (one of the highest recognitions for a faculty member at the University of Minnesota). He is Director of the Initiative on the Sharing Economy, a university-wide initiative with participation from faculty in management, engineering, public policy, industrial ecology, and law. He is also Director of the Center for Supply Chain Research, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Senior Faculty Scholar at the Center for Transportation Studies, and Fellow of the Institute on the Environment. He was the founding Head of Pillar (at the rank of Dean) for Engineering Systems and Design at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), a new university established in collaboration with MIT. He was also Founding Director of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Minnesota (formerly the Program in Industrial and Systems Engineering) which he led through a transformation from a small graduate program into a full-fledged department.
Susan is an accomplished innovative executive leader with a track record of leading transformational change in healthcare through inspirational leadership. She possesses extensive strategy and product experience in the healthcare and financial services industry, as well as expertise in emerging strategies, innovation, and business and product development.
Susan Jepson joined HCMC in 2015 and co-founded Upstream Health Innovations. Upstream Health Innovations leverages a methodology called human-centered design. This research and design methodology develops solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process to gain deep insights.
She is also the co-founder of Hitch Health, a patent-pending, proprietary software solution that integrates the Electronic Health Record and rideshare services, seamlessly removing transportation barriers and reducing “no show” rates by automatically syncing ride requests with medical appointments.
Meet the Team
We’re a growing organization attracting top talent as we work hard to change the way our community gets around.
