Twin Cities carshare ends after 21 years, leaving 4,000 members without rides

More than 4,000 active members in the Twin Cities were left without a reliable means of transportation after the HOURCAR non-profit announced its closure in early October. The service, which operated under the names HOURCAR and Evie, will discontinue operations after 21 years in the region.

The organization cited a $625,000 funding gap as the primary reason for the shutdown. Rising insurance costs and the loss of state and federal grants contributed to the financial shortfall. The announcement came despite the company raising prices in 2025 and receiving supplemental funding from the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Rep. Katie Jones is preparing to introduce a bill to the 2027 Minnesota legislative session. The proposal would enable Metro Transit to operate a car-share program. Jones argues that Metro Transit has a vested interest in continuing the service. She believes that former members would stop supplementing their travel with public transportation if they were forced to purchase new cars.

Jones also expressed concern over the environmental and individual financial costs of adding thousands of new vehicles to the road. Neighbors for Community Carshare is working closely with the representative to advocate for the Metro Transit program. However, the group is seeking immediate funding from local city and county leadership to continue operating a service using HOURCAR’s existing fleet of cars while the new bill is drafted.

The non-profit stated that it believed it could solve the funding challenge without disrupting service until recently. Many users expressed frustration with the timing of the announcement. Minneapolis resident Susan Van Pelt, 63, relied on the service for nearly 20 years. She lives on a fixed Social Security and disability income and does not have the means to own and maintain her own car.

Van Pelt said she can rely on public transportation for day-to-day needs but expects to use more expensive services like Uber and Lyft for longer distances and large grocery trips. Former HOURCAR employee Noah Velick said many former users are considering purchasing cars even if they cannot easily afford them. He noted that users are making sacrifices in other areas of their lives to buy a new vehicle.

A rally on Oct. 13 drew more than 100 community members who advocated for the continuation of the programs. Olu Famile, who has used the service since moving to the Twin Cities in 2022, said he has been staying home more to avoid complicated transportation. Advocates are still working to figure out how to revive the service before the next legislative session.