Vancity and Modo are electric

Check out the positive charge at Kitsilano Community Branch. We helped Modo The Car Co-op with a pilot project that helped get the not-for-profit carshare on the journey to adding fully Electric Vehicles (EV) to its fleet.

What is Modo?
Modo The Car Co-op, previously known as the Co-operative Auto Network (or, CAN), is the largest carshare co-op, and the first English-speaking, in North America. Started in 1997 in Vancouver, it now has more than 8,000 members sharing 300 cars, trucks, vans and electrics throughout Metro Vancouver.

Modo offers a reliable alternative to car ownership, saving its members money, reducing impact to the environment and nurturing a healthy, vibrant local economy. In fact, as many as 41% of members report they got rid of a car within a year of joining the co-op.

As well, Modo is a recognized leader in the communities in which it operates, empowering residents to live more locally and sustainably through support to a variety of Community Partners.

The Modo-Vancity Partnership:
Vancity provided the grant for Modo’s first Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) – which also happened to be the first PHEV carsharing vehicle in Western Canada – as well as a designated parking spot with a charging station at our Kitsilano Community Branch. Find it on Modo under Waterloo Vancity.

Thanks to the success of that pilot project, Modo has been able to bring more electrics into its fleet. Today, 11% of its growing fleet are hybrid or fully electric.

The Modo-Vancity partnership plugs in perfectly to our Community Project Grant Areas of Focus: Acting on Climate Change and Growing the Social Economy:

• The PHEV is a low emission vehicle. Funded through our Shared Success program, a Vancity grant allowed Modo to convert one of their electric-gas hybrid vehicles into this rechargeable hybrid – the first step in Modo’s plan to add fully electric vehicles to its fleet within a year.
• It’s a great chance for Modo members to try driving electric and plugging in, and for Modo to learn more about the benefits of the PHEV, and charging stations.
• This project supports carsharing – a smart transportation option that takes cars off the road and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
• It also supports Modo, a local not-for-profit, member-owned co-operative.
• And it gives our Vancity members the chance to be a part of the electric evolution – cutting edge technology designed to make a difference.