Texas should spend settlement on electric vehicles

State’s share of $209 million from VW emissions case could fund zero-emission refuse trucks, cut pollution

How quickly can electric vehicles become mainstream? A new Environment Texas report suggests faster than anyone expected.

The nonprofit group forecasts more than 170,000 plug-in cars on Texas roads by 2030, up from 16,000 EVs in 2017.

This is good news for large, congested cities like Houston because electric vehicles can help reduce air pollution.

EVs do not emit smog-forming pollutants like conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. Houston, for one, has failed to meet health-based standards for ground-level ozone, or smog, so deploying electric vehicles is one way to help residents breathe easier.

Even more exciting, the electrification of vehicles does not begin and end with the ones we drive to and from the office, school and grocery store.

Texas now has an unprecedented opportunity to replace some of its highest emitting and least efficient trucks on the road with zero-emission, all-electric versions.

Texas will receive $209 million for its share of the VW emissions cheating settlement, which will go toward projects to reduce smog-forming pollution. It makes sense to focus on the types of vehicles that produce the greatest environmental benefit.

Refuse trucks, in particular, are a good target for replacement with a more efficient zero-emission product.

Some cities already have switched their refuse fleets to cleaner natural gas to reduce public exposure to diesel exhaust, yet the technology exists to do even more.

In 2017, Texas-based Peterbilt Motors introduced a new electric refuse truck that can travel up to 65 miles on one charge while picking up 900 trash or recycling bins. That is the typical duty cycle for an 8-hour workday. It also does it in a smooth and quiet manner.

At first glance, the hauler looks similar to our diesel-powered products because the chassis is the same.

However, the truck contains an electric power train from industry partner TransPower. A 300-kiloWatt-hour rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack provides all the power needed for a full day’s work.

The advanced battery technology eliminates tailpipe emissions and the need for emissions-producing fuel.

This can be a significant cost for cities since refuse trucks achieve only three to four miles per gallon of fuel. The trucks also have a simple maintenance schedule and make far less noise than previous generation refuse trucks.

In time, this new generation of garbage trucks will save cities money in fuel and maintenance costs while helping them to improve air quality.

Houston, in particular, has a persistent problem with air pollution. Houston health officials found some areas of the city with as high as 9 percent of adults suffering from asthma.

So, relieving their neighborhoods of smog and other pollutants would be a big public health benefit.

As a first step, cities and counties should ask the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to prioritize projects that maximize the economic and public health potential for the transportation sector.

Houston should be a leader in clean transportation, putting forward meaningful projects for VW funding that help it to achieve clean air goals.

The sooner we have electric vehicles in our fleets throughout Texas, the sooner we can enjoy the benefits that these cleaner options provide.