Most residents of the Johnny, a new boutique apartment complex in the Highland neighborhood, are unlikely to remember the halcyon days of Car2Go. For several years in the 2010s, that carshare service tried valiantly — and, arguably, succeeded — to hip Austin drivers to the idea of renting Smartcars by the hour to at least partially replace the use of their own vehicles (sort of like e-scooters replace walking).
Nevertheless, aforementioned Johnny residents will have the opportunity to experience a similar kind of car-sharing glory, this time with Teslas and on a much more exclusive basis.
Geyser Group, the developer of the Johnny, recently partnered with EV ride-sharing service Sumn to provide car-sharing as an amenity for residents of the complex. The partnership marks the expansion of Sumn, which has previously provided service on Rainey Street only, into apartment communities.
Residents of the 76-unit complex will have access to Sumn's fleet of electric vehicles, which can be rented on-demand by the hour or day. This apartment community will be the first in Austin to offer car-sharing as an amenity.
The Sumn app will allow residents to view, unlock, and drive available vehicles. Sumn provides insurance coverage for every rental and offers free EV charging.
The partnership also allows Sumn to gather data it can use to develop its product, including measuring the willingness of residents to reduce their reliance on private cars and whether residents are willing to give up their cars in favor of a shared-vehicle solution.
Sumn also hopes to help developers calculate optimum parking ratios for multifamily properties that offer of car-sharing. By tracking use of its fleet at the Johnny, Sumn will be able to obtain data related to how many parking spots can be eliminated from any given development without having a negative impact on residents' transportation options. The data will help developers who are looking to reduce the amount of parking they provide and make better use of space.
In addition, Sumn aims to attract new renters and help the complex retain them. The partnership will help determine if the availability of shared vehicles is be a deciding factor for many renters when choosing a new apartment, as well as a factor in whether current residents renew their leases. Sumn will be tracking the metrics to determine the overall impact of its service on the Johnny's occupancy rates and tenant satisfaction.
The Johnny is scheduled to have first move-ins at the end of May.
