First BlueIndy Electric Carsharing Stations Now Under Construction

The first 12 (of probably up to 200) BlueIndy electric carsharing stations are now under construction in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to recent reports.

The announcement — which was made jointly by the City of Indianapolis, Bolloré Group, and Indianapolis Power & Light Company — also made note of the fact that the BlueIndy program was planning to hire as many as 50 local employees before the end of the year.

“I am delighted to welcome BlueIndy to Indianapolis and to add this robust electric car share service to the growing list of amenities and transit options in our city,” stated Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. “When this network is complete, it will make Indianapolis even more attractive to new residents and talent, offer conference goers and visitors a way to explore the city beyond the walkable downtown, and distinguish us as one of the most electrified cities in America.”

Once completed, the BlueIndy program will be the biggest electric carsharing service in the US — stations will be spread out throughout the city, and access will be offered through a membership-based setup similar to that of common bikesharing programs. Interestingly, these carsharing stations will be open to the public for use in charging their own electric vehicles (EVs) as well — so, simultaneously a carsharing station and a public EV charging station.

“Since deploying our demonstration site in Indianapolis last year, we have received an overwhelmingly positive reception from Indy residents for our electric car sharing program,” stated Hervé Muller, President of BlueIndy. “BlueIndy continues to work in partnership with the City and all stakeholders to prepare a successful launch, which includes our increased financial commitment to Indianapolis.”

Here’s a list of where the first 12 stations will be located:

• BlueIndy Station Name Street Address
• Washington & Illinois 107 W Washington St
• Statehouse East 49 N Capitol Ave
• Ohio & Pennsylvania 103 E Ohio St
• City County Building 11 N Delaware St
• Fountain Square 1107 E Morris St
• Irvington 27 S Audubon Rd
• University of Indianapolis 3996 Shelby St
• Broad Ripple & College 731 Broad Ripple Ave
• City Market 121 N Delaware St
• Convention Center North 228 W Maryland St
• Mass Ave 2 476 N New Jersey St
• IUPUI 333 University Blvd

These 12 stations are expected to be opened to the public sometime this summer.

Here’s some information of the economics of the program (via an email sent to CleanTechnica):

“The BlueIndy system will be financed by more than $40 million from BlueIndy, a $6 million commitment from the City of Indianapolis and up to $3.7 million investment from IPL. Public dollars will support public infrastructure improvements, including road markings, small signage, and curb and street maintenance. The City will receive a portion of BlueIndy’s profits and the State of Indiana and Marion County will receive an additional excise tax from BlueIndy. IPL funds will support work related to public utility infrastructure for the EV charging services.”

Very interesting setup. I’m going to take a gamble here and say that I’m expecting this program to do even better than its investors are expecting. 🙂

Image Credit: BlueIndy