The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has awarded a $1.6 million grant to the City of Los Angeles and its community partners for a pilot project that provides battery-electric vehicle car-sharing options in low-income communities.

CARB’s Car Sharing and Mobility Options in Disadvantaged Communities Pilot Project was made possible by two bills authored by state Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León: S.B. 1275, which created the Charge Ahead initiative to increase the availability of electric vehicles; and S.B. 535, which directs CARB to invest cap-and-trade revenue in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by climate change and poor environmental quality.

The project will introduce a car-sharing fleet of 100 battery-electric vehicles that will serve about 7,000 residents in some of Los Angeles' working-class communities, and 110 Level 2 EV charging units will be installed, according to Sen. de León's office. The L.A. Mayor’s Office of Sustainability applied for the project grant, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will provide support for the EV infrastructure.

The pilot project also aims to educate residents about car-sharing and transportation alternatives, as well as help avoid the purchase of 1,000 private internal combustion vehicles, added Sen. de León's office.