By Associated Press - Tuesday, April 22, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indianapolis Power and Light and the city of Indianapolis are seeking a $16 million rate hike to pay for a proposed electric car sharing program.

IPL research analyst Kimberly Berry says in a filing with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission that the rate increase would start in January 2018 and amount to 44 cents a month for the typical customer, The Indianapolis Star reported (https://indy.st/1lvE34Z ).

Indianapolis has contracted with French conglomerate the Bollore Group to provide 500 plug-in electric cars that residents can rent to run errands.

Bollore, which runs a similar program in Paris, will invest $35 million in the system. But IPL said it will cost $16 million to build and power up to 1,000 charging stations and it needs to recover the cost from consumers.

Berry’s filing said it would cost $12.3 million to install charging stations at 200 locations across Indianapolis for the car-sharing program and slightly less than $4 million to extend electrical lines to those stations.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard told the IURC that residents will benefit from the modest rate increase in the long run.

Ballard said the electric vehicle sharing program “is a proven transit alternative for residents who cannot afford to own a car or for those who do not want to own a car.”

The mayor said several studies have shown that electric car sharing is also often less expensive than owning a car.

Indianapolis’ electric car sharing service would be the largest in the nation and would complement Ballard’s plan to convert the city’s 3,100-vehicle fleet to electric, natural gas or hybrid vehicles by 2025.

“Once people experience the technology, I strongly believe people in our community and beyond will want to use and even may buy an EV,” Ballard said in the filing.

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, https://www.indystar.com

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