Mario Castillo Mario Castillo

Houston’s Electric Vehicle Market

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Encouraging the Growth and Development of Houston’s Electric Vehicle Market


January 2021

Overview of E-Mobility
Everyone has the right to breathe clean air. Clean air enables people to lead happier, healthier lives with less disruption from asthma,1 heart attack, and stroke.2 Unfortunately, Houston’s air quality is in a state of severe non-attainment after years of failing to meet EPA minimum standards with respect to NOx concentration levels. Fully 2/3 of NOx emissions come from transportation, 3 and this pollution is predicted to worsen as the city adds 50% more residents to the Greater Houston Area by 2040, leading to an emissions increase of as much as 30%- 80% within the same timeframe.

Residents demand a solution. An overwhelming majority, 74%, of Houston residents worry about the impact of air quality on their family’s health,4 and 61%, of Houstonians believe that much more needs to be done to curb emissions and improve air quality.5 Electrified transportation is a solution that fits Houston’s need for better air quality in a highly car- dependent city.

Emissions-free electric vehicles can drastically reduce transportation-related pollution, especially when powered by renewables. A study by Public Citizen and Air Alliance Houston estimated the possibility of a 90% reduction in transportation-related emissions, were all on- road vehicles to be electrified. That would mean a 60% reduction in NOx emissions, and a corollary drop in NOx- and ozone-related illnesses. The estimated impact of such a scenario might include as much as 246 fewer deaths from emissions exposure and as much as $2 billion in benefits from prevented mortality and reduced exposure by 2040.6

Beyond air quality improvement, electric vehicles offer additional economic and sustainability advantages for Houston. With transportation accounting for 47% of greenhouse gas emissions, any path to carbon-neutrality by 2050, as targeted by Houston’s Climate Action Plan, must include a robust e-mobility strategy.7 With respect to Houston’s economy, the lower operating costs of e-mobility8 can reduce the total cost of transportation, and enable more advanced, connected modes of mobility, even while attracting new private investment in one of the most rapidly growing industries. 9

Areas of Opportunity

To promote the greater development of the electric vehicle market in Houston, strategic efforts will be most effective if they focus on five key areas:

  1. Commercial fleet strategies: Collaborate with commercial fleet stakeholders to identify opportunities for fleet conversions

  2. Consumer electric vehicle strategies: Promote electrification of personal vehicles by working to increase access to electric vehicles and home charging

  3. Charging infrastructure deployment: Dramatically increase the availability and accessibility of charging infrastructure that is efficient and convenient

  4. Public awareness and experience: Work with communities and stakeholders to raise awareness of and access to electric vehicles and their benefits

  5. Stakeholder engagement and coalition building: Partner with key stakeholders to seek opportunities to align and collaborate on electric vehicle action

Policy Proposal

Your Houston calls on the city of Houston to encourage the growth and development of Houston’s

electric vehicle market by adopting the following:

  • A 5-year electric vehicle infrastructure plan to increase charging stations that create an electric vehicle charging station network that can be utilized for evacuation from the region.

    • Devote a portion of mobility resources to electric vehicle infrastructure

    • Install electric vehicle charging stations at every municipal multi-service center, library, park, courthouse, and health clinic.

  • Adopt a policy requiring the City of Houston to purchase electric vehicles (where appropriate) as they replace an aging fleet.

[1] AAFA.org. (2019). Air Pollution. [online] Available at: https://www.aafa.org/air-pollution-smog-asthma/ [Accessed 26 May 2019].

[2] CDC.gov. (2019). Unhealthy Air, Unhealthy Heart [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/features/air-quality- hearthealth/index.html [Accessed 26 May 2019].

[3] Emissions, 2. (2019). 2014* Houston-Galveston-Brazoria NOx Emissions. [online] TCEQ. Available at: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/areasource/emissions-sources-charts/2011hgbNOXemissions/view [Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].

[4] AirAllianceHouston.org. (2019). Know the Facts. [online] Available at: https://airalliancehouston.org/ [Accessed 26 May 2019].

[5] HoustonChronicle.com. (2019). How much longer can Houston shrug off air pollution? [online] Available at: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/houston-air-pollution-health-outcomes- 12863921.php [Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].

[6] Choi, Yunsoo, Anirban Roi, Ebrahim Eslami, and Shuai Pan. Evaluation of the Air Quality Impacts of Clean Combustion Technologies, Emissions Controls and Fleet Electrification in the Houston Metropolitan Area for the Year 2040. Report. University of Houston. 3-5.

[7] GreenHoustonTX.gov. (2019). Climate Action Plan. [online] Available at http://greenhoustontx.gov/climateactionplan. [Accessed 26 May 2019].

[8] New York City - Department of Citywide Administrative Services (2019). NYC Fleet Newsletter - Reducing Maintenance Costs with Electric Vehicles.

[9] Electrek. (2019). Daimler to make all-electric Freightliner trucks at converted Portland factory. [online] Available at: https://electrek.co/2019/04/24/daimler-electric-trucks-portland. [Accessed 21 May 2019]

 
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