St. Paul to Commit $300,000 to Restore Evie Carshare Service

St. Paul is committing $300,000 to find a new operator for its electric carshare service following the sudden discontinuation of HOURCAR & Evie operations.

The city is moving to secure a short-term “bridge operator” to restore service after the previous provider wound down its business on Oct. 15, Hamline Oracle reported. This intervention aims to prevent a total lapse in transportation for residents who rely on the electric fleet for daily commuting and local travel.

Mayor Kaohly Her announced the plan during a press conference on Oct. 29, emphasizing that the city intends to maintain its commitment to sustainable transit. The city currently holds a lease on the HOURCAR & Evie electric fleet and maintains ownership of the EV Spot Network charging infrastructure used by the service.

St. Paul committing $300K to bring back Evie carshare after shutdown — KSTP 5 Eyewitness News

“St. Paul is not walking away from carshare. This is about the people and families who rely on this service. Climate change isn’t waiting, and neither can we. We are using creative funding sources to bridge the gap in our service area, and we are inviting others to join us,” said Mayor Kaohly Her.

The discontinuation of the service leaves a gap in local transit. Before operations ceased, the program had reached substantial milestones in both usage and community reach, Hamline Oracle reported.

Metric	Service Impact
Total trips provided	670,000
Commuter reach	Nearly 5,000

For many commuters, these electric vehicles represented a critical link in the city’s climate action and resilience plan. The loss of the service creates an immediate challenge for those who depend on shared electric mobility to reduce their carbon footprint and travel the Twin Cities.

Path to restart Evie Carshare in St. Paul — KARE 11

While St. Paul is providing the initial $300,000 for the upcoming year, the Mayor is calling for a broader regional response to ensure the service’s long-term viability. Because the carshare network served the wider Twin Cities area, the city is looking for matching support from neighboring jurisdictions.

Her urged regional partners, including Minneapolis city leaders, Hennepin and Ramsey counties, and the Metropolitan Council, to commit to sustained public transit funding models. The goal is to move beyond temporary bridge funding and establish a permanent, stable model for shared electric mobility.

Early morning cityscape of st paul and twin cities in minnesota and mississippi river with railroad bridge

“This step is necessary as we try to find a bridge operator.” Climate change isn’t waiting, and neither can we. Sustainable transportation is a core commitment of our climate action and resilience plan adopted this year, and this is what keeping that commitment looks like,” Her said, according to Hamline Oracle.

The city's strategy relies on using its existing assets, specifically the charging infrastructure and the leased fleet, to attract a new operator capable of managing the transition.