Primary Department: Universal Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Sindhu Menon, Executive Director and CIO
Managing Department: Universal Services
Managing Department Head/Elected Official: Sindhu Menon, Executive Director and CIO
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Investment Memo
Investment Memo Type: Final Investment Memo
Project Name: Electric Vehicle Pilot
Project ID (if applicable): NI041
Vendor Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Achievement (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Incremental Authorization Requested: $2,955,000
Total Estimated Project Cost: $2,975,000 (FY26 FY27)
Request Summary:
title
Request for approval of a Final Investment Memo for the Electric Vehicle Pilot project for an incremental authorization of $2,955,000 for a total authorization of $6,810,720, and commercial paper funding in the amount of $760,000 for a total allocation of $4,610,000.
end
Project Description:
The next phase electric vehicle (EV) pilot project with the Harris County Universal Services, Office of Administration, Harris County Constable Precinct, Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), and the Office of County Engineering (OCE) will build upon the existing fleet electrification efforts started by Harris County. The project seeks to acquire 9 EVs with associated charging infrastructure at multiple locations in the County at an estimated cost of $2,955,000 to be operated and maintained by Harris County Engineering, HCTRA, and Universal Services. The benefits of the project will be to study and verify the reduced operational maintenance cost and reduced emissions of EVs compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. This will also increase operational readiness for a larger deployment of EVs in the future and help establish a framework for other departments to follow as they electrify their fleet. Given supply chain issues, the proposed project implementation timeline is estimated to be between 6-36 months.
Project Scope:
The two components of the project include (1) purchasing 11 EVs and (2) purchasing and installing Level 3 (DC Fast Charging) infrastructure at the following sites:
• HCSO
o District 6 Patrol Station - 17154 Butte Creek, Houston, TX 77090
o HCSO Criminal Investigations Building 14444 Holderith Road, Tomball 77377
• Downtown & Constable
o Downtown Fuel Center 426 Austin, Houston TX, 77002
o Harris County @ 5900 Canal St, Houston, TX 77011
In coordination with Purchasing and in accordance with their guidelines, the following 11 high-efficiency vehicles will be procured.
• HC Constables for agencies that elected to participate in the program (8 EVs)
o 4 Chevrolet Blazer Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV)
o 2 Chevrolet Silverado pickups
o 2 Ford Lightning Extended Range
• HCUS for POC -keyless sharing low-emission vehicles (LEV) stationed downtown:
o 1 Chevrolet Equinox AWD
o 1 Toyota Prius Hybrid (PHEV or HEV)
• HC Pollution Control Cargo van (1 EVs)
o 1 Chevrolet Bright Drop (PPV
Constables will use the latest GM Police Pursuit Vehicle EVs as law enforcement replacements for sedans and small SUVs, which is a gap in the current market. The vehicles are built to the highest law enforcement vehicle standards. Constables will also use the pickup truck options for target law enforcement use cases.
HCUS and OCA are planning to implement smart vehicle mobility technology to allow keyless driving within the downtown area as an extension to the ride sharing and shared mobility towards the Harris County Climate Action Plan goals. This allows multi-agency sharing through a web-based application, which is expected to deliver maximum utilization with reduced cost and emissions.
Harris County Pollution Control is extending its highly successful EV fleet by transitioning fully enclosed cargo vans to EVs. This option is now available with the latest products that have a significantly higher range under load.
The end date of the project will depend on the commercial availability of the EVs, but is anticipated to be no later than calendar year 2025.
Anticipated Project Expenditures and Timeline:
|
Project Scope Breakdown |
Estimated Cost |
Estimated Completion |
|
DC EV Charging Station at District 6 Patrol Station - 17154 Butte Creek, Houston, TX 77090 |
$430,000 |
Dec 2025 |
|
DC EV Charging Station at HCSO Criminal Investigations Building 14444 Holderith Road, Tomball 773776 |
$430,000 |
June 2026 |
|
DC EV Charging Station at Downtown Fuel Center 426 Austin, Houston TX, 77002 |
$430,000 |
June 2026 |
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DC EV Charging Station at County Annex, 5900 Canal St, Houston, TX 77011 5900 Canal St, Houston, TX 77011 |
$430,000 |
Sept 2026 |
|
EV Vehicles - 4 Constable (Precincts) Blazer PPV |
$238,320 |
Dec 2025 |
|
EV Vehicles - 4 Constable Extended Range Pickups EV |
$277,980 |
June 2026 |
|
EV Vehicles - 2 Shared Pool 1 EVs & 1 PHEV (include Telematics service |
$79,100 |
Sept 2026 |
|
EV Vehicles - 1 Pollution Control Bight drop Cargo Van |
$65,350 |
|
|
Contingency |
$574,250 |
|
|
Total |
$2,955,000 |
|
Justification & Alternatives:
Phase 2 of the EV Pilot Project focuses on addressing the growing need for fast-charging infrastructure in areas with increasing EV adoption or high-utilization vehicles (e.g., HCSO), based on findings from Phase 1.
Additionally, it builds on the successes of HCSO phase 1 and the introduction of the first Pursuit Rated Police Vehicle (PPV) electric vehicle released in late 2024, to expand electrification into our second largest fleet, i.e., Constable Precincts, which has so far been outside the Clean Vehicle Program and EV pilots.
The program extension also leverages advancements in web-based dispatch and keyless driving technology to enable co-located agencies to begin multi-agency sharing. This is expected to reduce the total number of vehicles, improve utilization while lowering operating costs per mile, and reduce tailpipe emissions. Furthermore, this initiative complements the OCA rideshare-to-work program, supporting individuals to ride share to work, while ensuring access to fleet vehicles at work when needed.
The fourth element of the program builds on Pollution Control’s documented successful EV fleet program by extending into extended range cargo vans, previously not available.
Overall, the program expands high-efficiency vehicles as a safe, effective fleet solution for Harris County departments. This project will also verify that EV expansion and fast charging will provide incrementally lower lifetime total cost of ownership (TCO) and demonstrate a reduction in tailpipe emissions in place of a comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, which decreases the amount of air and carbon pollution associated with operating County vehicles.
EVolve Houston and eIQ Mobility conducted a fleet electrification study for Harris County and determined that of the 3,390 light-duty ICE vehicles analyzed, 1,787 (52%) were deemed technically feasible to be electrified. Of the 1,787 vehicles that could be electrified, 1,070 (31%) were deemed economically feasible based on the lifetime total cost of ownership (8 years) of the vehicles. The potential economic benefit of electrifying 1,070 vehicles was $11.8M net present value (NPV) savings of the lifetime TCO of the assets.
Harris County has established an Office of Sustainability whose charge is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in County operations. Based on the study with EVolve Houston and eIQ Mobility, electrifying 1,700 vehicles would reduce carbon emissions by 5,186 metric tons annually, which is equivalent to the carbon emissions associated with the annual electricity consumption of 1,009 homes or the carbon sequestered by 6,137 acres of U.S. forests in one year. This reduction is based on the current power generation mix in Texas, so as more renewable energy generation is added to the ERCOT grid, these EVs will be running on ‘greener’ power.
The success of this project can be measured through the following performance metrics, which include quantitative and qualitative data:
- GHG emissions reductions based on actual VMT and electricity consumption of EVs
- Cost of operations and maintenance of EVs compared to ICE vehicles
- Feedback on user experience
The outcomes of this pilot will provide valuable insight into navigating EV pilots with other departments and Precincts that are interested in electrifying their fleet.
This EV pilot project is currently the most optimal solution towards reducing the economic and environmental impacts of Harris County’s fleet. Based on the data collected from the EVolve Houston and eIQ Mobility study, the rising cost of ICE vehicles has meant that ICE vehicles and EVs are nearly at purchase price parity. Also, the increased price of gasoline and diesel fuel has further increased the savings associated with the operations of EVs. As evidenced by the EVolve Houston and eIQ Mobility study, the commercial availability, increased driving range, and diversity of vehicle types have allowed EVs to become technically and cost-effectively competitive to ICE vehicles. The main environmental benefit is related to the EVs’ overall carbon reduction impact and the clean air benefits associated with zero tailpipe emissions when compared to ICE vehicles.
The impact of delaying this project for a year or indefinitely would result in an inability to study the small-scale electrification of Harris County’s fleet, which could potentially result in the inability to capture the $11.8M NPV savings and 50% emissions reductions from electrifying 30% of the County’s light-duty fleet. Also, due to supply chain issues and high demand for EVs, there is already a delay in delivering certain EVs to end users. For instance, there may be an 18-36 month delay in the delivery of Ford F-150 Lightnings due to high demand, so it would be ideal to place the order in the near-term and lock in current pricing. This would also allow the County time to build out the supporting EV infrastructure needed before vehicles arrive.
The stakeholders in the project are Engineering and HCTRA in coordination with the Office of County Administration and Universal Services. These groups have been jointly involved in applying the findings in the EVolve Houston and eIQ Mobility study, and carefully selected vehicles and EVSE locations that meet the needs of end users.
Anticipated Impact on Other Funds (If Applicable):
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Estimated Date of Needs |
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County Strategic Plan Goal: 5. Minimize the impact of climate change and disasters.
County Strategic Plan Objective: T: Reduce GHG emissions from County operations by 40% by 2030.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): T5: Update fleet to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Decision Analysis Matrix Score (rubric on last page): 15
Previous Court Action:
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
11/30/21 |
265 |
Transmittal by Office of County Administration to provide an update to Commissioners Court on key findings from the EVolve Houston and eIQ Mobility study |
|
5/10/22 |
15 |
Request for approval of a Final Investment Memo for the Procurement of Electric Vehicles (EV) and Procurement and Installation of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) for Engineering and Toll Road for the Electric Vehicle Pilot project for an initial amount of $1,389,322 and request for approval of initial commercial paper funding for Universal Services in the amount of $560,000. |
|
11/15/2022 |
20 |
Request for approval of a Final Investment Memo for the Procurement of Electric Vehicles (EV) and Procurement of Installation of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) for Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Universal Services for $2,466,398 |
|
3/14/2023 |
22 |
Request for approval of commercial paper funding for Universal Services for the Electric Vehicle Pilot project in the additional amount of $1,200,000 for a total CP funding of $1,760,000. |
|
7/18/2023 |
31 |
Request for approval of commercial paper funding for Universal Services for the Electric Vehicle Pilot project in the additional amount of $1,000,000 for a total CP funding of $2,760,000. |
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10/8/2024 |
39 |
Request for approval of commercial paper funding for Universal Services for the Electric Vehicle Pilot project in the additional amount of $1,090,000 for a total CP funding of $2,850,000. |
Address:
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
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Anticipated Court Date: 10/16/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Legal funding compliance confirmed by: Paige Abernathy, Special Assistant County Attorney, 9/12/2025
Department Approval by: Heather Merkel, Universal Services Director of Budget, 9/30/2025
OMB CIP Team Approval by: William McGuinness, Director-Capital Projects & Infrastructure, 9/23/2025
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Commercial Paper Request (For OMB use only):
Receiving Department: Universal Services
Project PeopleSoft ID: NI041
CP Series Description: Commercial Paper Series D can be used for (1) construction of public works, (2) the purchase of automobiles, equipment and machinery, including computers, materials and supplies for the operation of the County’s precincts and departments (3) Professional services, including services provided by engineers, architects, attorneys, auditors, financial advisors, and fiscal agents, in connection with the contractual obligations described in (1) and (2).
Commercial Paper is being requested for the Electric Vehicle Pilot project and is expected to be repaid within the next three fiscal years either through bonds, budgetary means or pay-as-you-go sources.
OMB Financial Management contact: Amy Perez, Deputy Executive Director, Office of Management and Budget