The Electrification Coalition has released two case studies describing how the cities of Houston, Texas and Loveland, Colorado are saving money by using EVs in their vehicle fleets.

Houston has converted 50% of its light-duty fleet to hybrids, including 15 converted Prius PHEVs. Recently, the city purchased 27 LEAFs, and has plans to deploy more. The Texas oil capital has also installed 77 Level 2 and 32 Level 1 charging stations throughout the city.

“Houston first began using electric vehicles for the environmental benefits they offer, but now we are planning to add even more EVs to our fleet because of the cost savings they bring,” said Laura Spanjian, the city’s Director of Sustainability. “We project that electric vehicles will save the city $110,000 per year in reduced fuel and maintenance, costs that we would otherwise have to spend on gas-powered vehicles. Also, our new car sharing program FleetShare, which we developed with ZipCar, provides easy access to the vehicles for Houston’s employees.”

Loveland became interested in EVs when the city’s fuel costs increased by 29% between 2009 and 2011. The city leased two LEAFs, taking advantage of Nissan’s municipal lease program, which allows the federal tax credit of $7,500 per vehicle to be incorporated into the lease price.

“Loveland needed to do something about rising fuel costs, and electric vehicles have proven to be a great solution, saving us about 41 percent overall compared to gas-powered vehicles,” said Mayor Cecil Gutierrez. “In tough economic times, these savings cannot be ignored. Loveland is now aiming to convert all of its light-duty fleet vehicles that work within a close distance of the city to EVs.”

Source: Electrification Coalition via Green Car Congress