Vanpooling in a gasoline powered vehicle is heavily polluting, according to Green Commuter, a new car share and vanpooling service that rents all-electric vehicles, such as the Tesla Model X.
"Angelenos understand traffic and care about the environment,” said Gustavo Occhiuzzo, CEO of Green Commuter.
"We offer a premium all-electric vanpool option that's affordable. Gasoline vanpool vehicles are very polluting, usually with ratings from 12 to 18 MPG in real-life driving conditions; we're the first to use only zero-emissions vehicles instead."
The Tesla Model X is the only electric vehicle (EV) rented "because the all-electric vehicle meets vanpool criteria, including seating for seven passengers and a battery capacity sufficient for long-range driving," according to the article in Auto Rental News.
Green Commuter is a portfolio company for the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) which is "dedicated to building a cleantech economy for Los Angeles." according to its website. Other portfolio companies shown here.
"We're thrilled to mark this inauguration," said Fred Walti, president and CEO of LACI. "Green Commuter is a terrific example of an innovative social enterprise aimed at sustainable solutions for the transportation sector."
With its Aug. 2 inauguration, Green Commuter will launch an Indiegogo ([crowd funding] campaign to offer its services at discounted rates: packages start at $10 an hour and $150 per weekend rental.
Expansion to Fresno County
Green Commuter was awarded a Low Carbon Transit Operations Program grant for a pilot project in Fresno County, according to LACI. The program is a 'California climate investment' program funded from auction proceeds of the California Cap-and-Trade program. It will be partnering with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
Challenges
A recent post indicated that car2go was the first car sharing company to launch an all-electric network, "but company officials decided this spring that an electric model was unsustainable and switched all of their vehicles to gas-powered in May."
The Auto Rental News article said nothing about charging the EVs. Presumably, with a 250-mile range, the vehicles won't need to be charged during work hours, but emergencies do happen. Workplace chargers can be either non-existent or oversubscribed.
According to a January 2011 New York Times article (posted here), "The percentage of workers who car-pool has dropped by almost half since 1980, the first time the Census Bureau started systematically tracking the numbers, according to new data from the bureau."
FULL STORY: Los Angeles to Launch Electric Vanpooling, Carsharing Service
How Much Should Electric Vehicles Be Charged in Lieu of Gas Tax?
Currently, electric vehicles pay a $17.50 annual registration fee in Illinois. A bill to double the 19 cents per gallon gas tax, unchanged in almost 30 years, would also increase the EV fee over 57-fold to $1,000.
U.S. Risks Becoming Backwater for Electric Vehicle Sales
Auto analyst John Voelcker discusses the electric vehicle market in the U.S. on NPR. Ominous clouds belie the excellent sales figures for last year, and policies pushed by Trump only ensure that motor vehicles will continue to gulp more gasoline.
Banner Year for Electric Vehicle Sales
U.S. sales of plug-in electric vehicles, including those with internal combustion engines, increased by 81 percent in 2018 over 2017. But if you remove the best-selling Tesla Model 3 from the mix, the increase drops to 11 percent.
The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.
Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.
‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.
San Francisco Rents Cheaper Now Than in 2020
Though ‘cheap’ is a relative term.
Study: Seattle’s Lower Speed Limits Reduced Crash Injuries
A change in the city’s speed limits has been shown to reduce the likelihood of injuries during collisions.
Millennials Now Majority Homeowners
Just over half of people in the ‘Y’ generation now own homes, but the largest generation also continues to dominate the rental market.
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Strategic Economics Inc
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
