Electric vehicle car share debuts in Las Cruces

LAS CRUCES — Two Chevrolet Bolts comprise the fleet of a pilot electric vehicle car share service unveiled in downtown Las Cruces on Tuesday.

“This program gives an affordable, reliable alternative transportation that expands access to work, groceries, appointments and daily life with ease,” City Councilor Becky Corran said during a brief opening event.

The low rental fee — $5 per hour or $50 for a day — made the service accessible, she said, “while cutting pollution and creating healthier neighborhoods.”

The cars are parked in a lot at the corner of S. Main Street and Bowman Avenue downtown, where two ChargePoint electric vehicle charging stations are in service. The lot includes spaces for members of the public to pull up and charge their own vehicles.

The app-based car share service is operated by Forth Mobility, an Oregon-based nonprofit that advocates for electric vehicles, public investments in charging locations and electrifying mass transit. The program is supported with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and El Paso Electric’s Transportation Electrification Plan.

The collaboration with the City of Las Cruces was announced in July, when the utility said the pilot would run until the end of 2026 “with hope of developing a long-term sustainable transportation model.”

The $10 million EV rental program, titled the Affordable Mobility Platform, is active in multiple cities in Michigan as well as Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; St. Louis, Missouri; Belleville, Illinois; Charlotte, North Carolina; and three cities in New Mexico.

Go Forth debuted its car share service at PAH! Hiland Plaza in Albuquerque in February 2024. This past April, it opened service in Santa Fe with vehicles stationed at two public housing complexes.

Edwin Martinez, EPE’s project manager for transportation electrification, said the project has been in the works since 2022, with contracting and construction taking place after New Mexico regulators approved the plan in 2024.

“We are making electric mobility more accessible, equitable and sustainable for our community,” Martinez said. “This program is designed for the community, ensuring that everyone — regardless of income or background — has access to reliable, clean and affordable transportation.”

To use the service, drivers must be 21 years old and have a clean record.

The service requires downloading the MDO Carshare mobile app and setting up an account, a process that includes uploading photographs of a customer’s driver’s license as well as payment information. Enrollment takes 3 to 5 days, according to a notification from the app, in a process including a check of customers’ motor vehicle records, a required orientation video and an assessment.

Approved members are then able to make reservations for a car through the app. A laminated card inside the vehicle provides instructions on the process of starting the ride, operating the vehicle and checking it back in.

No representatives from Forth Mobility were present for the event.

In a written statement, the company said, “Transportation pollution accounts for 30% of harmful emissions. Electric vehicles are a means of cleaning the air for our communities. … Access to a car share vehicle can help alleviate the expensive burden of vehicle ownership, needing a second car or filling those gaps in mobility access.”