Mevo is on the move

This story first appeared in the April issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Wellington-based electric car-sharing start-up Mevo is expanding.

It’s not only increasing the number of EVs in its Audi A3 e-tron fleet but has set its sights on moving into five cities across New Zealand and Australia within five years.

Founding director and chief executive officer Erik Zydervelt plans to grow Mevo’s fleet to 50 EVs by the end of the year and 2000 within the five-year time frame.

“We’re on track,” he says.

“In our first full year, we grew the fleet five-fold, starting with three cars and growing to 15. ”
Conversations with stakeholders in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are continuing apace and Mevo hopes to soon establish in both Lower Hutt and Auckland.

Mevo – a play on the word “move” – was founded in December 2016 by Nelson-raised friends Zydervelt and Finn Lawrence.

Zydervelt trained as an “urbanist” – a specialist in researching city systems. He worked in urban research and systems before moving into corporate strategy.

Lawrence studied mechatronics, which combines electronics and mechanical engineering, and had worked in start-ups and business.

Swapping travel stories one day the friends found themselves on the topic of car sharing, which they had both seen work well abroad.

They saw an opportunity for electric car sharing to create a more sustainable, environmentally friendly transport network for Wellington, and offer an alternative to personal car ownership for both urban residents and businesses. So they combined their talents to start Mevo.

“Cars are a huge cost for businesses and individuals,” Zydervelt says.

Carbon reduction is also a benefit. Mevo offsets its “lifecycle”: carbon emissions from the vehicle manufacturing process, energy generation and the small amount of fuel used in its plug-hybrids by 120%.
Every car-share takes about seven to 11 private vehicles off the road, he says.

“We believe that business should be regenerative and also buy carbon credits from Ekos’s project in the South Island. ”

Mevo has received backing from several quarters. Wellington City Council, for instance, has allowed Mevo to use central business district carparks (mostly now allocated) and in the suburbs, many of which are combined with EV charging.

Z Energy has invested $250,000 in Mevo and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) has provided two matched grants through its low emission vehicles contestable fund.

One EECA grant of up to $500,000 provides for a fleet of 50 electric cars and 64 kerbside chargers to go with Mevo “pods” or customer pick-up points.
That support helps show mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) is quickly gaining support in cities worldwide, Zydervelt says.

“Car-sharing services are growing in popularity because they are cheaper than owning a vehicle and electrics offer the other benefit of a green, low-emissions choice.

“One member told us he spends less on a Mevo than he used to spend on parking alone. ”

Zydervelt says members can also drive a new luxury electric car without having to worry about parking, getting a warrant and registration, depreciation and the other costs involved in owning a car. And they don’t have to clean it.

Private car ownership involves having a car sit around for much of the time, he says.

Eventually, Zydervelt hopes to see the fleet move into self-driving EVs when appropriate.
So how does Mevo work?

Membership starts at $50 a year. Using a smartphone app, members can book, lock and unlock a Mevo EV and drive the car from designated pods, usually with a charging station.

Three tiers of membership are available, for those intending to use a Mevo car a few times a year to those who use it weekly.

Hourly rates vary between $11 and $23, depending on the membership plan.

Electricity, any fuel needed for longer trips,
maintenance, insurance and mileage (up to 200km a day) are all included in the price.

Most trips require the driver to bring the car back to the pod it was taken from.

But Mevo is trialling a one-way service between central Wellington and the airport, for example.

As the service grows, other A to B points are likely to be introduced.

And with car-sharing gaining popularity here and overseas, it looks as if Mevo is in the driver’s seat.

Visit mevo.co.nz for more information.