Green Commuter is based at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), where it was selected to become a portfolio company in 2015.

Simultaneous with its 2 August service launch, Green Commuter will launch an Indiegogo campaign seeking to offer its services at steeply discounted rates, so as to jump start the Green Commuter community. Packages start at $10 an hour and $150 per weekend rental.

Vanpool users will be able to lease the vehicles on a monthly basis, with total commuting costs comparable to, and, in many cases cheaper than, current vanpools that use standard vans or SUVs. Currently there are more than 1,500 vanpools with a destination point in Los Angeles County, and there are about 3,000 vanpools across the Greater Los Angeles region.

Current vanpool commuters only use their vans between 10 to 15 hours per week, based on an average one to one-and-a-half hour commute each way for five days. That’s only 6 to 9% of the time during any given week, leaving the van unused for the remaining 91 to 94% of time. Green Commuter developed an app that enables the synergy between the vanpool and car share systems that will dramatically increase the benefits for all users and maximize the use of the vehicles.

—Green Commuter CEO Gustavo Occhiuzzo

Occhiuzzo chose the Tesla Model X for the Green Commuter program because it is the only all-electric vehicle currently available that meets vanpool criteria, including seating for seven passengers and a battery capacity sufficient for long-range driving. The vehicle was also ideal for car sharing because of its appeal to users who would use it for travel with friends and family around town or popular nearby weekend destinations, such as Las Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego.