New Sacramento program aims to increase electric vehicle access to underserved neighborhoods
HELPING MORE RESIDENTS GO GREEN. SACRAMENTO IS LAUNCHING A NEW CAR SHARE PROGRAM THAT WILL MAKE ACCESSING. ELECTRONIC VEHICLES MORE AFFORDABLE. JOINING US THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW INITIATIVE IS RACHEL PATTON WITH THE CITY. RACHEL, GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. TELL US WHY THIS WAS SOMETHING THE CITY WANTS TO OFFER TO ITS RESIDENTS. YEAH, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE FOR US BECAUSE 57% OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN SACRAMENTO COME FROM TRANSPORTATION, AND WE’RE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO WALK AND BIKE AND TAKE TRANSIT. BUT SOMETIMES USING A CAR IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND SO IN THAT CASE, DRIVING ELECTRIC IS THE CLEANEST OPTION. AND WE WANT TO MAKE THAT MORE AFFORDABLE AND PRACTICAL FOR FOLKS IN SACRAMENTO. OKAY. EXPLAIN HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS. YEAH. SO WE’RE BUILDING ON THE OUR COMMUNITY CAR SHARE PROGRAM WITH THE SAC METRO AIR DISTRICT. BASICALLY, YOU CAN SIGN UP TO BECOME A MEMBER IF YOUR INCOME QUALIFIED OR YOU LIVE WITHIN A MILE OF ONE OF OUR NEW FIVE NEW LOCATIONS. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT GIVES YOU ACCESS TO THE ZIPCAR CAR, SHARE THERE TO REGISTER YOU JUST SIGN UP THROUGH THE AIR DISTRICT WEBSITE, GET A ZIPCAR ACCOUNT, AND THEN IT’S AS EASY AS USING THE APP TO TO CHECK OUT A CAR. AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE LOCATIONS. HOW WERE THESE SPECIFIC AREAS SELECTED? YEAH, SO WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF THINGS. WE LOOKED AT WHERE THERE’S EXISTING CHARGERS AND CAR SHARE AVAILABLE, AND WE WANTED TO FILL GAPS IN AREAS WHERE RESIDENTS MIGHT NEED IT MOST. SO WE LOOKED AT PLACES WHERE FOLKS HAVE LOW INCOME OR LOTS OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO CHARGING AT HOME TO MAKE USING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE EASY. AND WE PLACE THEM IN IN LOCATIONS THERE. AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT LIBRARIES, COMMUNITY CENTERS AND PARKS SO THAT WE WERE PUTTING THEM IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SPENDING A LOT OF TIME AND GATHERING AS A COMMUNITY. FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING THIS MORNING, THEY MAY WONDER, IS IT SORT OF LIKE AN UBER? OR IS IT SORT OF LIKE A LYFT? IS THAT KIND OF THE SAME IDEA? SIMILAR, BUT YOU ACTUALLY GET TO DRIVE THE CARS YOURSELF, SO YOU CHECK IT OUT ON THE APP AND THEN YOU GET TO BE THE DRIVER. SO IT’S CAR SHARE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO OWN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE TO DRIVE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. YOU CAN JUST BORROW ONE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. AND THEN WHEN YOU’RE DONE USING IT, YOU RETURN IT AND THE NEXT PERSON CAN USE IT THEMSELVES. AND WHERE WILL THE VEHICLES BE PARKED AND HOW DOES ONE GAIN ACCESS? YEAH. SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. WE’VE ADDED FIVE NEW ONES SO YOU CAN FIND THEM AT MEGAN PARK, BELLE COOLEDGE LIBRARY, VALLEY HIGH LIBRARY, SOUTH NATOMAS COMMUNITY CENTER, AND THE PINAL COMMUNITY CENTER, AND TO GET ACCESS TO THEM, I RECOMMEND EVERYBODY GO TO CITY OF SACRAMENTO.GOV. BLUEPRINT AND THAT’LL YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FIND THE ELIGIBILITY QUIZ FOR OUR COMMUNITY CAR SHARE. YOU CAN TAKE THAT AND YOU’LL GET CONNECTED TO ONE OF OUR PROGRAM MANAGERS WHO CAN HELP YOU GET SIGNED UP AND WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND WHO’S THE TARGET FOR THIS? I MEAN, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT IS THERE A SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC THAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO HAVE SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM? YEAH, WE’RE REALLY WANTING TO GET ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE HANDS OF FOLKS WHO DIDN’T HAVE ACCESS ALREADY. SO MAYBE FOLKS WHO CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE THEMSELVES BUT ARE INTERESTED IN DRIVING ONE, YOU KNOW, WORKING FAMILIES, SENIORS, YOUNG PEOPLE, REALLY ANYONE WHO WANTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO A CAR AND DOESN’T HAVE EASY ACCESS THEMSELVES ALREADY. WE ARE TARGETING INCOME QUALIFIED FOLKS WITH OUR INCENTIVES THAT WE’RE OFFERING. SO IF YOU ARE A RECIPIENT OF, YOU KNOW, A STATE OR FEDERAL INCOME QUALIFIED BENEFIT LIKE CALFRESH OR UTILITY ASSISTANCE, WE’RE REALLY HOPING TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM MORE ACCESSIBLE TO YOU. SO IF YOU SIGN UP BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER 31ST AND YOU MEET THOSE INCOME QUALIFICATIONS, YOU ACTUALLY GET $100 OF FREE DRIVING. IT’S EQUAL TO 25 HOURS OF FREE DRIVING. AND WE’RE REALLY HOPING TO THAT FOLKS SIGN UP AND ARE EXCITED, AS WE ARE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. AWESOME. DEFINITELY AN EXCITING PROGRAM FOR SURE. RACHEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JO
New Sacramento program aims to increase electric vehicle access to underserved neighborhoods
Updated: 11:14 AM PST Nov 11, 2025
The city of Sacramento has launched a new car share incentive program designed to make electric vehicle (EV) access more affordable and equitable for residents.In partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, the initiative offers $100 in Zipcar driving credits — the equivalent of about 25 hours of free driving time — to qualified residents. The credits will be distributed through Dec. 31 on a first-come, first-served basis, with an emphasis on reaching underserved neighborhoods.Participating car share locations include: Mangan Park Belle Cooledge Library Valley Hi – North Laguna Library South Natomas Library Pannell Community CenterTo qualify, participants must either meet income requirements or live within one mile of one of the designated EV car share sites in a disadvantaged community (excluding Belle Cooledge).The new program builds on the city’s EV Blueprint Implementation project, an ongoing effort to reduce transportation-related emissions and expand sustainable mobility options. A news conference celebrating the program launch will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Belle Cooledge Library at 5600 South Land Park Drive. Rachel Patten, with the city of Sacramento, joined KCRA 3 on Tuesday morning to talk about the program. Watch the full interview in the video player above. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The city of Sacramento has launched a new car share incentive program designed to make electric vehicle (EV) access more affordable and equitable for residents.
In partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, the initiative offers $100 in Zipcar driving credits — the equivalent of about 25 hours of free driving time — to qualified residents.
The credits will be distributed through Dec. 31 on a first-come, first-served basis, with an emphasis on reaching underserved neighborhoods.
Participating car share locations include:
Mangan Park Belle Cooledge Library Valley Hi – North Laguna Library South Natomas Library Pannell Community Center
To qualify, participants must either meet income requirements or live within one mile of one of the designated EV car share sites in a disadvantaged community (excluding Belle Cooledge).
The new program builds on the city’s EV Blueprint Implementation project, an ongoing effort to reduce transportation-related emissions and expand sustainable mobility options.
A news conference celebrating the program launch will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Belle Cooledge Library at 5600 South Land Park Drive.
Rachel Patten, with the city of Sacramento, joined KCRA 3 on Tuesday morning to talk about the program.
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel