STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA — The nonprofit electric car-sharing program Míocar expanded to Richmond, California, in 2023. Charging stations within the Richmond program were later vandalized, allegedly by an organized group seeking copper in the equipment to resell.

Míocar was founded to make transportation more accessible in low-income areas burdened by air pollution. The program received grants from the California Climate Investments fund. Gloria Huerta, chief operating officer of Míocar, said in a podcast interview: "Users include households who share one vehicle that gets tied up because a parent takes it to work each day, so other family members rent a Míocar for shopping or doctor's appointments." She added: "We also have users whose cars have broken down and they don't have the money to fix them." Huerta also said: "For others, it extends travel beyond bus limits, or they just want to try an electric vehicle."

The program operates hubs in six cities, mostly in California's Central Valley. A survey by the University of California at Davis Institute of Transportation Studies found that between 2019 and 2023, Míocar allowed for 81,318 gas vehicle miles to be avoided. Brian Harold, a program evaluation specialist with the institute, said: "It is not substituting for transit – rarely do people say they use it instead of a bus." He added: "It is substituting either for personal vehicle travel or for transportation they would not have taken."

Arredondo Gabino, Richmond's project manager for transportation services, said in a podcast interview: "We are a fence-line community, so we are environmental-justice focused." Gabino added: "We are trying to improve access to everything clean: solar, paratransit." He said: "Míocar is another opportunity." The Míocar fleet consists mostly of Chevy Bolts, but sometimes includes IONIQ 5 or Hyundai Kona vehicles. Insurance, charging, and vehicle maintenance are included in the rental fees. Rental cars and charging stations are situated near public housing projects, civic centers, libraries, senior centers, and hospitals.