CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina city is accelerating toward clean and affordable transportation.
Charlotte’s newly launched Carolina Carshare offers electric vehicle rentals at a low cost to people living in a neighborhood where car ownership is low.
Lucious Johnson is a resident at Peppertree Apartments. His community was the first in the southeast to participate in the program.
Up to three electric vehicles are available to rent through a mobile app for $5 an hour.
Johnson just needs a drivers license, and once approved through the application process, he’s on his way.
“I’m retired,” Johnson said. “So, sometimes I like getting out and riding.”
He’s been without a car for months after giving it to his daughter. It’s made getting around difficult, especially on rainy days.
“Some bus stops have covers, some don’t,” Johnson said. “So, you’re wet, or if it’s cold, like 35 degrees, you’re in the cold.”
Now, Johnson has affordable access to a car, with heated seats, to go to places like the doctor’s office or grocery store.
“You can’t beat it,” Johnson said.
Charlotte is one of 13 cities nationwide and the only city in the southeast selected to receive grant funding through the national community carshare pilot, the Affordable Mobility Platform (AMP), according to a city news release.
“This car share program is a blueprint for climate-smart solutions,” Heather Bolick, Charlotte’s chief sustainability and resiliency officer said. “We’re proud to bring electric mobility to where it’s needed most and to show that clean transportation can be both practical and transformative.”
Peppertree Apartments Property Manager Meg Martino said city leaders and the nonprofit Forth Mobility selected her community because of its central location and close access to bus stops.
“We know waiting for the bus takes two to three hours,” Martino said. “You literally have to leave your house two to three hours early to get to where you need to be at 9 o’clock.”
Martino said 80% of the people who live at Peppertree Apartments either walk or ride their bike.
“The energy that I feel from seeing people be blessed and helped is what keeps me going,” Martino said. “I don’t just sit back and collect people’s rent. I want to see their quality of life get better, and I wanted them to understand there are resources for them.”
As for Johnson, he said he plans to use Carolina Carshare every chance he gets.
“And I’m willing to tell my little girl to keep the car,” Johnson said. “Dad’s OK, he’s cool.”
The program is expected to expand to other areas by the end of 2025.
