The City of Houston and Reliant Energy are working to ensure a better future for our city by exploring new technologies that will conserve energy and improve our environment. We're partnering to demonstrate the power of electric vehicles and to show how this environmentally friendly solution can work in our busy urban lifestyles.
Reliant Energy has sponsored the conversion of 10 City of Houston cars to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that can deliver up to 100 mpg as well as lower emissions. It's a unique opportunity for all of us to learn more about how PHEV technology works for real people in real-world situations.
We look forward to bringing you updates on this ambitious initiative as it progresses. In the meantime, keep an eye out for "Power of the Plug-In" vehicles in your neighborhood.
Map of local charging stations
To keep the fleet running, we're setting up charging stations throughout the city powered by the latest in EV technology -- and several of these will be available for public use. Check the map below to find one in your area, including in the Kingwood area.
Did you know ...
Electric vehicles have the potential to dramatically improve local air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to a 2007 Department of Energy study, PHEVs have the potential to reduce NOx emissions in Texas by 40% compared to traditional gasoline vehicles. (1)
PHEVs with a 20-mile electric driving range can reduce vehicle CO2 emissions by at least 33% and as much as 67%, depending on the generation source for the vehicle’s electricity. (2)
All-electric vehicles -- which will arrive in some consumer markets as early as 2010 -- have the potential to provide 100% emission-free driving when powered by renewable resources such as solar and wind energy.
Because electricity costs less on a per-mile basis than typical gasoline engines, electricity-powered vehicles are less expensive to operate.
An electricity-powered car can travel between 3 and 4 miles on a single kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity. At 12 cents per kWh, this translates into 3.4 cents per mile.
By comparison, a hybrid car with a fuel economy rating of 40 mpg will cost 7.5 cents per mile with a gasoline price of $3 per gallon.
The PHEVs in this program use a combination of electricity and gasoline, and are expected to achieve fuel economy of up 100 mpg -- more than twice the fuel economy of a regular Prius hybrid.
While electric vehicles are currently more expensive than gas-powered cars, these costs are expected to come down over time, much in the same way that plasma TV prices have fallen in recent years.
1 “Impacts Assessments of Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles on Electric Utilities and Regional US Power Grids," Pacific Northwest National Labs, May 2007
2 “Environmental Assessment of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles," Electric Power Research Institute, July 2007
Electric cars join the city fleet
