An “innovative” pilot program announced by the City of Boulder to integrate electric vehicles and affordable housing has launched, the City announced Monday.

The program aims to reduce building energy costs while providing affordable and sustainable transportation options for community members. The program features two Colorado CarShare electric vehicles (EVs) — two Nissan Leaf EVs — paired with bi-directional charging stations, and according to the City: “underscores the city’s commitment of promoting equitable access to low-emissions transportation.”

The two shared Nissan Leaf EVs — operated by the nonprofit organization Colorado CarShare — will be made available for the program, including subsidized use for those residing in affordable housing.

The City is also collaborating with Boulder Housing Partners (BHP), Xcel Energy and Fermata Energy on the pilot program.

“Colorado CarShare is suitable for those who wish to reduce their carbon footprint, commute using public transit, walking, bicycling, or other alternative modes; or those who want to reduce their monthly transportation costs,” Executive Director Peter Krahenbuhl said in a news release. “Our ultimate goal is to tackle climate challenges and maximize positive impacts for our residents and society.”

Known as ‘Vehicle-to-Everything’ technology — including ‘Vehicle-to-Grid’ and ‘Vehicle-to-Building’ technologies — the City said the approach holds immense potential to mitigate building peak demand, ultimately driving down energy costs and enhancing grid stability.

“Traditionally, electric vehicle (EV) chargers function solely to draw energy from the grid or a building to charge a vehicle, however, in this groundbreaking initiative, the integration of bidirectional EV charging stations introduces two-way electricity flow, enabling energy exchange between a building and a car,” the City said.

“We are excited to build on the success of our bi-directional EV charging pilot at North Boulder Recreation Center. This project allows the partners to expand access to electric mobility while exploring new potential business models with bi-directional charging,” Matt Lehrman, senior policy advisor for Energy Systems at the City of Boulder, said in the release.

The program entails discounts for carshare memberships funded by the city and rebates provided by Xcel Energy to Colorado CarShare for the procurement of EVs along with funding for the acquisition and installation of the bi-directional chargers.

“This program helps deliver the benefits of electric vehicles to all customers in the communities we serve, including those who don’t drive, or drive electric. This project is a proof of concept of bi-directional charging, to assess technology with the potential to enhance customer bill savings,” Huma Seth, director of Clean Transportation at Xcel Energy, said in the release. 

“The City of Boulder, along with its partners, is excited to spearhead this pioneering effort, expanding access to electric mobility and testing new ways to better integrate electric vehicles into the city’s climate, resilience and transportation goals,” according to the release.