USA: Blink Mobility acquires the shared EV service Envoy
Blink Charging’s subsidiary Blink Mobility, an all-electric carsharing service, announced the acquisition of Envoy Technologies, which offers shared electric vehicles as an amenity for real estate developers. Blink Mobility says the deal will create one of the largest all-electric carsharing companies in the United States.
This is when combining Blink’s existing EV carsharing service with Envoy’s fleet as well as counting a recently awarded $7.5 million to develop an electric carsharing program in New Jersey.
As for Envoy, the company developed a carsharing platform and mobile app that provides electric vehicles as an amenity to apartments, office buildings and hotels. Envoy calls the platform’ Mobility as an Amenity service’ and offers technology to reserve and access vehicles and provide maintenance services, chargers, the fleet and analytics.
Since Envoy was founded in 2017, the company has deployed over 300 electric vehicles at more than 150 multifamily properties and office buildings and installed more than 150 charging stations. The fleet includes all Tesla models, the Rivian R1T, Porsche Taycan, Polestar 2, Audi e-tron, Chevy Bolt, and the Nissan Leaf. The carsharing service is offered in Florida, California, Oregon, Washington, New York and Illinois.
The fleet will complement Blink Mobility’s service in Los Angeles. Launched in 2021 as ‘BlueLA’ also via acquisition and the addition of 300 street-side EV charging stations and an unknown number of electric cars, today’s announcement contained an update. Blink Mobility said in 2022, the vehicle fleet grew by approximately 70%, the average utilization rate nearly doubled, and total trips increased by almost 37% compared to 2021. In response to the carsharing service’s popularity, the Los Angeles City Council agreed to expand the service and add 300 street-side EV charging stations across 60 new locations, and to expand the number of EVs in the fleet to 150, informs Blink. The expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
Again, Envoy will help Blink Mobility to manage the expansion when it comes to EV services. Blink Charging will be the sole supplier of charging services to the EVs.
Aric Ohana, CEO at Envoy Technologies, said, “With Envoy’s vast experience in the electric carsharing space and Blink Mobility’s depth of knowledge partnering with local municipalities, we look forward to continue working with our strategic investors and partners, such as Douglas Elliman, Goodyear Ventures, and Shell Ventures, to continue to advance the electric carsharing industry with Blink Mobility.”
Matt Petersen, CEO of LACI and Chair of the Transportation Electrification Partnership, commented, “LACI is proud that Envoy is one of our portfolio companies as well as of the innovations we piloted together to provide EV carsharing and charging in disadvantaged communities.” The Transportation Electrification Partnership targets 80% of all cars sold in LA County to be BEVs by the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “Envoy joining forces with Blink Mobility is the kind of market force we need,” Petersen added.
As for New Jersey, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), and New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has awarded Blink $7 million, and Envoy nearly $500,000 in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction proceeds, to bring electric carsharing (both city-wide deployments and apartment amenity carshare) to New Jersey communities that lack access to reliable transportation.
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