Today in the New Economy: Driveway-Sharing Apps

Two start-ups promise L.A. drivers on-demand parking and electric vehicle charging.

1 minute read

October 2, 2016, 11:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


Driveway Parking Garage

Frank Fennema / Shutterstock

For Pavemint, "the goal is to free up parking spots that are otherwise off limits," KPCC reports—maximizing use of existing parking spaces to reduce the congestion, vehicle miles traveled, and carbon emissions caused by searching for a place to park.

EVMatch aims to make electric vehicle charging facilities more accessible to the public—lowering the barriers to purchasing electric vehicles (EVs), and allowing owners of home charging stations a sort of rebate on their investment.

In L.A., there are currently 50,000 registered EVs, but the number of public charging stations is far less than that. Locating those chargers requires navigating a maze of competing charging networks.

EVMatch is based in Santa Barbara. It launches in L.A. in October, then heads to the Bay Area and San Diego.

Pavemint soft launched for the recent Los Angeles Rams game with more than 300 spots; the founder sees it working best for big events. It will soon expand to West Hollywood to service the city’s Halloween festival, before rolling out L.A.-wide in January.

Thursday, September 22, 2016 in KPCC

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