Saint Paul Commits $300,000 to Keep Evie Carshare Alive

When Evie Carshare shut down this month, thousands of Twin Cities residents lost an option for getting to work, school, and medical appointments without owning a car. Mayor Kaohly Her worked to bring that option back. Today, Mayor Her announced that Saint Paul will commit an additional $160,000 to sustain carshare service. That brings the city’s total commitment for next year to $300,000. This investment will be used to search for a short-term bridge operator to keep carshare operational in Saint Paul. 

“Saint Paul is not walking away from carshare,” Mayor Her said. “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.”

The announcement came beside an electric vehicle charger installed by the city this month on Saint Paul’s East Side. Even as the city confronts an immediate transportation challenge, it will continue investing in cleaner transportation and infrastructure in underserved neighborhoods. Saint Paul and Minneapolis launched Evie in 2022. Before its closure, the service had recorded more than 670,000 trips. In 2024, 44% of users were low-income and 45% were BIPOC. For residents who depend on public transit, carshare can fill the first-mile gap between home and the bus stop or last-mile gap between the train stop and a destination. That flexibility can become especially important during Minnesota winters.

HOURCAR’s board voted to wind down the nonprofit. They citied rising insurance costs and reduced federal support. Service ended Oct. 15. Saint Paul holds the lease on the Evie fleet, while Saint Paul and Minneapolis own the electric vehicle chargers installed through the EV Spot Network. City staff from multiple departments secured nearly 200 leased vehicles within a week of the shutdown announcement and preserved the city’s ability to put the fleet back into service. The additional funding was identified through attrition in the Public Works Department. Mayor Her credited Public Works Directors Deb Barber and Financial Services Director Joe Harney with helping identify the resources.

The investment builds on Her’s proposed 2027 budget, which already included funding for Evie and expansion of the EV Spot Network. The city’s updated Climate Action and Resilience Plan, adopted in 2026, also identifies sustainable transportation as a core commitment. Saint Paul is now seeking new operators through a request for information. Mayor Her’s administration is also in conversations with other levels of government about supporting the program.

"We've seen an enormous show of community support for carshare in the last few weeks," said Noah Velick, an organizer with Neighbors for Community Carshare. "Residents from all across the metro area have contacted their elected officials, shared their stories, and emphasized how necessary it is to get carshare up and running again as quickly as possible."

The next step is finding an operator and securing enough public support to make the service viable over the long term. Mayor Her is asking regional partners to help preserve a transportation option that residents have already demonstrated they will use. 

“Saint Paul is the first to commit additional funding,” Mayor Her said, “But the city cannot sustain a regional transportation service alone.”