EVs Roll Out of California With Real Estate Partnerships

Envoy Technologies, a provider of shared on-demand, community-based electric vehicles (EVs), has signed partnerships with three real estate groups, a move which will boost its presence nationwide. EVs in the firm’s fleet are or are about to become an on-site amenity at apartment communities, workplaces and hotels of the following developers: Alliance Residential, Equity Residential and the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento, Calif.

This latest round of projects brings Envoy’s total number of EVs deployed at partner sites to more than 100. Its current pipeline totals 1,800 vehicles to be launched in Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Austin, Texas; Chicago; New York; Boston; Miami, Fla.; and Washington, D.C.

Across California, beyond

Both Southern and Northern California will benefit from the firm’s expansion: In the greater Los Angeles area, Envoy will deploy EV Charging stations to more than 30 communities owned by Equity Residential. In Northern California, Envoy will have a Tesla Model S, two Volkswagen e-Golfs and two EV chargers at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento, Calif., available for guests, full-time residents and the offices for The Sacramento Kings. In November, as part of Electrify America’s Sac-to-Zero initiative, Envoy launched more than 20 Volkswagen e-Golfs at more than 10 multifamily properties across the city.

This new deal is also preparing the firm for countrywide expansion: Alliance Residential is set to work with Envoy throughout its nationwide portfolio of properties. In addition, Emet Capital’s College Suites in Brooklyn, New York, will also offer student residents the ability to use Envoy EVs and infrastructure.

“Alliance Residential’s expanded partnership with Envoy speaks to a joint commitment to bring highly accessible, eco-conscious mobility options to tenants,” Alliance Residential Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Kelly Vickers said in a prepared statement. “Together, we have the ability to serve as a model for other developers and municipalities looking to welcome electric vehicles into their communities and drive down total vehicle miles traveled.”

From Los Angeles to Boston

These deployments come shortly after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Eversource Energy—together with the commonwealth utility, Envoy plans to bring hundreds of EVs and complementary infrastructure to Massachusetts by the second quarter of 2019. The five-year deal syncs with Eversource Energy’s commitment of $45 million to support the installation of new level 2 and DC (direct current) fast-charging sites over the same period.

Awards for growth

Envoy’s expansion plans are backed by a series of wins:

• a $439,000 grant offered by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The firm intends to use the funds to deploy 48 Envoy EVs within the East Bay Area, as part of the West Oakland Zero-Emission Grant Program;
• Peninsula Clear Energy awarded Envoy a $70,000 grant to introduce its on-demand EV sharing platform to a local disadvantaged multifamily community;
• The Green Fleet Award from Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition, backed by $1.5 million from the California Energy Commission and a portion of Electrify America’s $44 million investment in the region;
• The best of the Shared Mobility category in the L.A. New Mobility Challenge, a pitch competition sponsored by NewCities Foundation and Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator.

Image courtesy of Electrify America