Image: City of Houston
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City Council of Houston, arguably the oil capital of North America, have committed to purchasing 97 battery electric vehicles which will replace ageing ICE vehicles in the City of Houston fleet.
Houston, which employs nearly a third of the United States’ jobs in oil and gas extraction and likes to describe itself as the “Energy Capital of the World” , is now also home to more than 100 solar-related companies, more than 30 wind-related companies, and operates more than 136 wind projects.
Mayor Turner has announced approval to purchase 97 battery electric vehicles to replace existing ICE vehicles in the City’s fleet. The new BEVs will join 40 BEVs already active in the Houston City fleet, a shift being driven by the Houston Climate Action Plan which aims to convert all non-emergency, light-duty municipal vehicles to electric by 2030.
“With today’s purchase approval we more than triple the number of EVs in our municipal fleet,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner.
“We still have a long way to go to reach our Climate Action Plan target of all non-emergency, light-duty vehicles, but we are determined to continue leading by example.”
Mayor Turner also expects a number of additional electric and low-emission vehicle purchases to be made by the Council in the near future.
The 97 new BEVs will be deployed throughout the City fleet, including in departments including the Houston Airport System, the Houston police and fire departments, the parks and recreation department, and more.
“Transitioning to electric and low-emission vehicles will yield both environmental benefits for the community and financial benefits for the City,” said Gary Glasscock, Houston’s director of fleet management.
“Over an eight-year life, each EV is expected to save the City approximately $16,000 in total cost of operation and reduce tailpipe and upstream greenhouse gas emissions by 25 tonnes compared to a conventional, gasoline powered vehicle.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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