Drivers frustrated by carshare closure face officials digging for solutions

On Oct. 8, a little bit before 1 p.m., thousands of people in and around the Twin Cities simultaneously learned they might need to start shopping for a car. That’s because HourCar, the Twin Cities’ nonprofit carsharing program that also operates Evie Carshare, announced it would cease operations on Oct. 15 as a result of a $625,000 funding gap.

Since their opening – HourCar in 2005 and Evie in 2022 – the programs have been funded through user fees along with public, private and philanthropic dollars. Between them, riders can reserve hybrid and electric cars at designated hubs for round trips or pick up a “free-floating” vehicle within specified zones in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. 

For a $7 monthly fee, users – about 4,000 of them – borrowed a car for between about $10 and $14 per hour, an appealing prospect compared to paying for a loan, insurance, gas a...