The nature of transportation and parking is changing in the blink of an eye.
From the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and the proliferation of charging stations to increased demand from cities for reduced car usage, the built environment is undergoing a generational transformation. Envoy, an electric car sharing provider that was recently acquired by EV charging company Blink Charging, is working with both cities and private property owners to facilitate this transition to saner vehicle usage. We spoke with Aric Ohaha, President of Blink Mobility and co-founder of Envoy Technologies, Drew Hopkins, Chief Operating Officer at Envoy Technologies, and Mike Battaglia, Chief Operating Officer at Blink Charging, about how their firm is helping bring the new world of personal transportation to life.
“The Future Will Be Electrified, and Sharing is Going to Be a Big Part of That”
Envoy’s electric car sharing program addresses a host of underlying issues with cars and how we’ve historically used them. First and foremost is the built-in inefficiency of cars as a primary means of transportation. Cars are “expensive assets that sit for 95% of their life,” says Ohana. “You use your bed more than you use your car.”
Additionally, relying on individually-owned cars impacts how we develop properties, primarily the constant need for more and more parking spaces. “The way it works now, you really need to develop three parking spaces for every car,” explains Hopkins.
“One for home, one for work, and one for wherever you’re going. That’s a huge drain on resources.”
More Shared Vehicles Means Fewer Parking Spaces
Ohana discovered the impact that car sharing can have on these parking space requirements back in the early 2010s while developing student housing in Texas. When local zoning requirements mandated that he build one and a half parking spaces per unit, which would have been prohibitively expensive, Ohana found a solution in car sharing.
Because “every shared vehicle reduces car ownership by seven to ten cars,” he included car sharing as an amenity in his proposal, and the city agreed to a reduction in the parking requirement, which in turn made the project financially viable.
The Consumer Demand for EVs is Growing
In addition to a growing push by cities to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, Envoy’s electric vehicle sharing platform takes advantage of increased consumer interest in electric vehicles. After a slow start, EVs have taken off in recent years, and though some regions still lead others in adoption (in California, for example, “25% of new registered vehicles in the last quarter were electric,” says Ohana), electric vehicles are appearing everywhere.
What’s more, demand is higher than supply of EV chargers. As a property owner, having a charging station in front of your rental or condo building is no longer a luxury; it’s a requirement for attracting and retaining a growing segment of tenants.
That’s Where Envoy Comes in
Property owners contract with Envoy to install a charging station for the shared vehicle and bring the Envoy sharing program to their building. During this installation process, owners have the option of installing more chargers and sharing in the profits made from selling charging time to EV owners.
Once the chargers are installed, an Envoy vehicle is deployed via the company’s full turnkey service, and residents and guests will be able to reserve, unlock and drive it via the Envoy Mobility app. When the program first launched at student housing and WeWorks around Southern California in 2017, the fleet consisted entirely of “Fiat 500es, because they were dirt cheap and there were so many of them,” jokes Ohana. “But we quickly realized that people also wanted nicer vehicles.”
Today, the Envoy vehicle outside an affordable housing building might be a Chevy Bolt, while an upscale condo will have a luxury EV such as a Tesla, Rivian, Mercedes, or Porsche. Because tenants can check out the car at their convenience, Envoy is perfect for households looking to move from owning two cars to just one, or those looking to rely exclusively on mobility services like car sharing and ride hailing instead of owning their own vehicle.
“By providing a shared electric vehicle service with Envoy, we’re fostering a community where residents can enjoy the benefits of personal mobility without the responsibilities of vehicle ownership,” says Mario Gaztambide, Senior Managing Director at LeFrak, which offers Envoy vehicles at properties like Newport in New Jersey and Link at Douglas in South Florida.
“This initiative reflects a progressive approach towards urban living, emphasizing both eco-friendliness and convenience and has been very well received by our residents.”
As households where one member commutes and the other works from home become increasingly common, Envoy enables these tenants to own just one car and still have access to another when needed.
Teaching People About EVs
Envoy sees part of its role as being educational. “We’re helping spearhead EV adoption,” explains Hopkins. “For 75% of our drivers, the first time they’ve ever driven an EV is when they use our platform.” As the auto industry moves towards more limited sales tactics, drivers who have never piloted an EV appreciate the ability to do a grocery run instead of driving in a circle around a parking lot. “Sometimes we call it a real world test drive.”
Having an Envoy vehicle as well as other charging stations at their home also helps people get used to the new refueling paradigm that EVs are introducing. Unlike gas vehicles, which get refueled in minutes at a pump, charging an EV is more like “charging your iPhone,” says Hopkins.
“You charge it overnight, and maybe top it off while you’re at work.”
Once drivers are on the Envoy Mobility platform, they have access to a fleet of vehicles that spans the country, not only at private residences but also via municipal hubs like those run by Blue LA, which maintains 150 shared EVs around the Los Angeles area and growing to 300 in 2024. In a similar vein, Envoy was just awarded an $8m Grant from the New Jersey Department of Energy to put charging stations and shared vehicles in a mix of public and private locations around the state.
An Amenity That Can Pay For Itself
All of these benefits and partnerships makes Envoy an unbeatable amenity for property owners looking to attract and retain tenants. Having access to an Envoy vehicle at their building reduces cost of living for residents, gives them access to a nationwide car sharing network, and helps facilitate the transition from fossil fuels to a cleaner energy future.
“It really takes that marketing ability to a whole new level,” says Battaglia. “As the owner of an apartment building, not only do I have charging infrastructure, but now I also have an EV on site that I can promote to my residents for them to use.” Plus, depending on how much their residents use the Envoy vehicle(s) and how many other EVs are being charged at any additional chargers they choose to have installed, property owners can even turn a profit. Working with Envoy isn’t just good marketing; in an increasing number of cases, it’s good business.
To nominate your property for Envoy electric carsharing or Blink charging solutions, please click here.