Envoy Technologies, a provider of shared, on-demand, community-based electric vehicles (EVs), has announced the first wave of live sites and vehicle deployments in Sacramento, Calif., under the Electrify America Green City initiative.
Envoy and Electrify America recently joined Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg at an event to unveil the EVs and outline the vision for future development. Electrify America is a Volkswagen subsidiary created to help fulfill funding requirements under the automaker’s Dieselgate settlement.
Under the Sac-to-Zero initiative, more than 20 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles are now available across Sacramento at over 10 multifamily properties, each with an accompanying Level 2 charging station. The majority of these sites are in disadvantaged communities. Drivers can use the “Envoy There” mobile app to use vehicles for a myriad of uses.
Envoy’s car sharing program is part of Electrify America’s $44 million investment in Sac-to-Zero, which is designed to shift mobility choice to electric mobility options. The initiative is intended to increase access to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the Sacramento area, expand ZEV technology use and prepare the city for future EV adoption.
“We’re extremely proud to collaborate with Electrify America and bring this deployment to fruition only months after being announced,” says Envoy’s co-founders, Aric Ohana and Ori Sagie. “With thanks to Electrify America, the City of Sacramento and Mayor Steinberg’s office, we can offer drivers easy access to EVs, especially drivers from disadvantaged communities, where transportation options tend to be scarce.”
“The arrival of Envoy in Sacramento will give our residents who struggle to find reliable transportation an affordable, clean option for getting around,” says Steinberg. “It’s another step in our city’s evolution into a national model of clean, shared mobility. We are thrilled to partner with Electrify America in this effort.”
The Sac-to-Zero initiative will feature car sharing services, new ZEV bus and shuttle routes, and EV charging systems throughout the Sacramento area. The full project is anticipated to be completed early in 2019. Envoy’s fleet will eventually feature more than 140 vehicles in over 70 different locations.
The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), which was created to ensure the ongoing development of affordable housing in Sacramento, was an early collaborator with Envoy to help identify car sharing locations.
“The agency is excited about being one of the leading partners in this effort,” says Tyrone R. Williams, director of development at SHRA. “As the housing authority for the city and county, we are committed to providing mobility options in public housing communities and to residents in underserved communities.”
