Residents of the Twin Cities Region Saved $23 Million Through Car and EV Sharing in 2025

HOURCAR shows how carsharing and electrification can work together to reduce the cost and complexity of transportation. Minnesota’s nonprofit carshare network gives residents access to vehicles without requiring them to take on car payments, insurance, maintenance and other ownership expenses. The service starts at $10.40 per hour and has recorded more than 671,000 trips since 2005.

The organization operates two complementary services. HOURCAR provides round-trip carsharing, with vehicles that include gasoline, hybrid and electric models. Members reserve a vehicle and return it to the same location. Evie Carshare is an all-electric, free-floating service operating across Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Members can pick up an available vehicle and end their trip in approved parking within the service area. Evie LOOP provides another all-electric option through a hub-based model.

The model is particularly relevant as EV adoption expands but not every household can install a charger or afford an electric vehicle. HOURCAR and Evie allow people to experience electric driving without purchasing a vehicle. That can be especially important for renters and residents of multifamily housing, where access to charging can be difficult.

HOURCAR’s partnership with Xcel Energy is helping address that challenge. In July 2026, Xcel announced a $500,000 investment supporting expansion of Evie Carshare and HOURCAR Electric initiatives. Xcel has supported Evie and multifamily charging since 2019, recognizing that renters and other customers may lack access to EV charging infrastructure. The partnership is focused on expanding clean transportation access across communities and income levels.

The impact is already significant. In June 2026, Evie surpassed 670,000 trips and had more than 13,800 members. HOURCAR also reports that 46% of trips are taken by very low-income users, demonstrating how electric carsharing can address both transportation affordability and emissions.

HOURCAR’s 2025 impact reporting adds another dimension. Residents of the Twin Cities region saved $23 million through HOURCAR and the EV Spot Network. The EV Spot Network combines shared Evie vehicles with public on-street EV charging, creating an integrated transportation and charging system.

Charging is an important part of making the model work. Evie vehicles can use EV Spot chargers, while Evie LOOP vehicles charge at their hubs. HOURCAR explains that Level 2 charging is generally used for overnight or longer-duration charging, while DC fast charging can replenish an EV much more quickly when needed for longer trips.

The system also gives users flexibility. Evie members can receive $10 in driving credit for ending a free-floating trip at an EV Spot charger and activating the charging session. HOURCAR’s service model is designed around convenience, allowing members to locate vehicles through the app and access them around the clock.

Perhaps most importantly, HOURCAR demonstrates that electrification does not have to mean simply replacing every privately owned gasoline vehicle with a privately owned EV. Carsharing can reduce the number of vehicles needed while giving more people access to electric transportation. For households that primarily walk, bike or use transit, an electric carshare vehicle can provide mobility when a car is actually necessary.

EVinfo.net’s Take: EV Sharing Offers Americans a Smarter Way Through Rising Costs

Americans are feeling the financial pressure of skyrocketing inflation, rising fuel prices and wartime disruptions to global energy markets in September 2026. For many households, owning a car means taking on monthly payments, insurance, maintenance, fuel and unexpected repair costs. EV sharing offers a practical alternative.

Services such as HOURCAR and Evie demonstrate how shared electric vehicles can provide access to transportation without the full cost of ownership. Instead of buying an EV, consumers can use one when they need it and avoid paying for a vehicle that sits parked most of the time.

The advantage becomes even greater when gasoline prices surge. EV drivers are less exposed to oil-market volatility, while shared electric vehicles can reduce both fuel and operating costs for transportation providers and users. EVinfo.net reported that Labor Day 2026 fuel prices in the U.S. hit an all-time high due to the administration’s mis-handling of the Iran war. The average price of regular gasoline reached $4.14 per gallon, nearly $1 higher than a year earlier.

EV sharing also expands access to electric transportation for Americans who cannot afford a new EV or who live in apartments and other housing without convenient charging. It gives consumers an opportunity to experience electric driving without making a major purchase.

As inflation and geopolitical instability continue putting pressure on household budgets, transportation models that reduce ownership costs deserve more attention. EV sharing is not simply an environmental solution. It is a practical economic tool that can help Americans maintain mobility while reducing their exposure to increasingly unpredictable fuel prices.