by the numbers

New report reveals EV adoption in Texas remains low

In the latest installment of the Texas Trends survey, only 5.1 percent of Texans currently drive an electric-powered car, truck, or SUV. Photo via Getty Images

Interest in electric vehicles remains low in Texas, according to a recent report by University of Houston and Texas Southern University.

In the latest installment of the Texas Trends survey, only 5.1 percent of Texans currently drive an electric-powered car, truck, or SUV. Nearly 60 percent said they were not too likely or not at all likely to consider leasing or purchasing an electric vehicle in the future.

Respondents said that the largest factor in not opting for an EV was scarcity of charging stations. Other holdbacks included higher purchase prices, and not being able to charge an EV at home.

Acceptance of EVs did vary by respondents’ ethnicity, income, political affiliation and age:

-Asian-American respondents expressed the most interest (57 percent of respondents) in someday purchasing or leasing an EV.

-Those in the highest earning bracket voiced the highest interest in owning or leasing an EV one day. About 40% of those with an annual family income exceeding $80,000 said they'd consider an EV

-About 70% of Republicans and more than 60% of independents said they were not likely to ever buy or lease an EV

The researchers also posed an analysis to test if respondents would be more willing to purchase or lease an EV with lower purchasing prices, lower operating costs and decreased charging times. The factor that seemed to sway respondents most was length/duration of driving range on a single charge.

"If driving distances were longer on an EV’s single charge than with a full tank in a gas-powered vehicle–along with hypothetical situations lowered purchase prices, lowered operating costs and decreased charging times–respondents indicated they would go electric," according to a release from UH.

The EV portion of the report is the latest installment in the Texas Trends survey, a five-year project to study the state’s changing population and opinions, which was launched in 2021.

Other portions of the study focused on state propositions, school vouchers, primary elections, the summer heat wave and climate change.

The survey was conducted between Oct. 6 and Oct. 18 in English and Spanish for 1,914 respondents.

According to the report, 51 percent of Texans believe climate change significantly impacts extreme weather events. About 47 percent of those who acknowledge the impact of climate change on weather are likely to consider buying an electric vehicle.

About three-quarters (75.8 percent) of Texans describe the summer of 2023 as hotter than previous summers.

Meanwhile, the City of Houston has been working to accelerate EV adoption in the area.

Evolve Houston, founded through Houston's Climate Action Plan, awarded its inaugural eMobility Microgrant Initiative this summer to 13 groups, neighborhoods and an individual working to make electric vehicles accessible to all Houstonians.

The city also approved $281,000 funding for the expansion of free electric vehicle rideshare services in communities that are considered underserved by utilizing services like RYDE and Evolve Houston. Click here to read more.

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A View From HETI

Two new data center projects are coming to the ERCOT South Zone. Photo via Getty Images.

Houston-based Barrio Energy will develop two new projects for 10-megawatt data center sites in Matagorda County.

Located in the ERCOT South Zone, the projects will assist in powering advanced computing operations, modular data centers and cryptocurrency mining, according to a news release.

Barrio Energy is a provider of energy infrastructure solutions for computing and data centers, and its new locations will build on its existing Texas sites in Monahans, George West, Lolita and Tyler. The Tyler location, a 12-megawatt data center connected to the ERCOT grid, opened in 2024.

“The ERCOT South Zone’s strong infrastructure and access to abundant power make it an optimal location for next-generation computing,” Ivan Pinney, CEO of Barrio Energy, said in a news release. “These developments expand our portfolio and contribute to local economic growth through job creation and technological innovation.”

Operations at the first of the two sites are expected to commence in Q4 2025, with the second site following in Q1 2026.

“We are excited to advance these two high-potential 10MW sites in Matagorda County, which perfectly align with our mission to provide scalable, efficient energy solutions for our clients,” Pinney added in the release.

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