Today, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston City Council announced approval to purchase, install and deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in various City facilities. The effort will be enabled through the City’s partnership with Greenlots, a leading EV charging solutions provider and member of the Shell group, and driven by the Houston Climate Action Plan – a strategy that sets out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve regional air quality, and build climate resilience.

“Today we take another step toward reaching our Climate Action Plan goal of electrifying our City fleet vehicles,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Electric vehicles can help reduce our carbon footprint, modernize our electric grid, and improve regional air quality. It’s exciting to see Shell, one of the world’s largest energy companies, taking the lead on decarbonizing the transportation sector and helping Houston lead a global energy transition.”

The City plans to convert an estimated 8,000 City of Houston non-emergency, light-duty municipal fleet vehicles to EVs by 2030. Greenlots, a member of the Shell Group, will install 41 EV charging stations throughout Houston, creating a charging infrastructure that will power the City’s electric fleet. Charging site locations include the Tranquility Parking Garage, City Hall Annex Parking Garage, Transtar, Downtown Library and the Houston Permitting Center.

“Houston offers an optimal framework for the scaled transition to electric mobility, and we applaud Mayor Turner, City Council and Evolve Houston for making the commitment,” said Andreas Lips, CEO of Greenlots. “Our team is excited to partner with Houston on its journey to a more sustainable, zero-emission future.”

In addition to installation, the City’s EV fleet charging infrastructure will be monitored and managed by Greenlots SKY™ EV charging network software – helping to inform efficient charging site utilization and operations. Initial use of the EV chargers will be dedicated to municipal vehicles. Over time, the chargers will be integrated with a citywide charging infrastructure for public use.

The Houston Climate Action Plan – released on Earth Day 2020 – is a science-based, community-driven strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, meet the Paris Agreement goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, and lead a global energy transition. Shifting regional and municipal fleets to EVs and installing electric vehicle charging stations at public-facing City facilities are major milestones set forth in the plan. By summer 2020, the City’s Office of Sustainability partnered with EVolve Houston to outline the specific requirements necessary to transition municipal fleets to EVs and deploy publicly accessible EV charging equipment. EVolve Houston is a coalition of civic, business, and academic leaders who seek to accelerate clean transportation through electrification. The coalition works with industry and local businesses, policy makers and communities on pilot projects, demonstrations, and promotion of EV adoption.

"Evolve Houston is excited to see the City and Greenlots partnering to advance electrification in Houston,” said Chris George, Executive Director of Evolve. “Fleet electrification requires strong partnerships and strategic planning, and this is a sign that both are present.”

About Greenlots

Greenlots, a member of the Shell Group, is committed to the evolution of the electric vehicle infrastructure ecosystem. Our employees, customers and partners share a collective passion for research and development of leading-edge charging software and hardware, smart data analysis solutions and accessible charging services. Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with a global footprint, more than 2,000 charging sessions occur on the Greenlots network each day. Our entrepreneurial spirit, with the deep energy expertise of Shell, is powering the electric mobility transformation to create a more sustainable future. For more information, visit: https://greenlots.com/.