This is a pilot program with temporary locations starting next week. At the end of the HOURCAR Electric Vehicle Pilot, these vehicles will be used for our new one-way program, Evie Carshare, and the temporary hub location will be removed. The HOURCAR Electric Vehicle Pilot will end in August, 2021.
If you haven’t heard the news, electric vehicles are about to hit the Twin Cities in a big way! While the EV Spot Network is being built out, we are inviting our members to take a spin in an electric vehicle. We are releasing white Chevrolet Bolts into our round-trip fleet under the HOURCAR brand. Members who drive the EVs will be surveyed for feedback to help us make sure we have all our FAQs in a row.
These Bolts are minimally marked, with only a logo on the rear hatch. When entering the temporary ramp locations, the Bolts are easily located as they are in the charging area.
Reserve a Bolt?
If you reserve a Chevrolet Bolt for your next trip, you’ll see it plugged into the charger. To start your trip:
1) Use the HOURCAR App or GoTo card to unlock the car
2) Unplug the charger. If you unplug the charger with the doors locked the alarm will go off.
3) Return the charger to the holder on the wall.
Once you have unplugged and hopped in, you are ready to go!
The Bolt is keyless, so you will just need to put your foot on the brake and press the power button to start the ignition. There are no keys in the vehicle, make sure to lock the car by engaging in Stopover mode each time you get out.
Remember this is an EV, so the car is extra quiet. When you are done with the trip, the car must return to the hub and be plugged back in for its next trip.
Current hub locations include University of Minnesota – 4th St Ramp and Minneapolis A Ramp.
Charging the Bolt:
At the end of your trip, plug in the car so it can charge for its next trip. Each temporary hub may have different charging procedures, so review them here before your trip. We will also have Trip Tip cards located on the drivers-side door to help you out as well.
How Long are the Bolts Staying in the HOURCAR Service?
These are temporarily in our HOURCAR fleet, ending in August 2021. The Bolts will be rebranded for the upcoming one-way, semi-free float program called Evie Carshare. Vehicles with an HOURCAR label are always for roundtrips, and vehicles with Evie Carshare labels are for one-way trips.
How Does Charging Work?
We cover the cost of charging, just like we currently do for gasoline. The time it takes to charge a car depends on the level of charger. There are currently three types of chargers:
Level 1: This is basically an outlet at your home. The time it takes to charge an EV is a lot, often nearly a whole day to fully charge the car. Our 4th St Ramp at U of M charges at this level, so it is especially critical to end by plugging the car in.
Level 2: This charger will charge, on average, about 25 miles per hour. We ask that every trip ended at a level 2 (during out pilot) also charge the vehicle, should it become available.
Level 3 (DCFC – Fast Charge): This is not currently in our pilot program as there are few DCOE chargers available. We will be adding DCOE into the EV Spot Network once it has fully launched. These chargers will add about 90 miles per 30 minutes of charge.
What Are Your Thoughts?
We’re working hard on some big initiatives – some of the biggest in America – and we want to gather your input. Give us some feedback and we’re happy to give you credit for your thoughts. Get $5 Drive Credit upon completion of this quick and easy feedback form by July 2, 2021. Your feedback won’t be directly linked to you (unless you add your email in the comments section) but will be used to help us in our communications of the launch of Evie Carshare (coming soon!)