Message from TxETRA Board Chair, Michael Osborne
About a year ago, I came to the conclusion that the time for a statewide electric transportation advocacy group was just about here.
Well, after a dinner in late October, a lunch in December, about 10 interim board meetings in Jan, Feb, and March, and a fabulous board meeting and founding reception at the Austin Club on April 6th, TxETRA was born.
Thank you to all of you who have helped make this happen. I'm especially grateful to Mark Kapner, Dale Bula, Joep Meyer, Cary Ferchill, Austin Energy, The Wind Coalition, Public Citizen, Janis Bookout of EarthDay ATX, and the Energy Foundation. It goes without saying just how much rocket fuel our Executive Director, Tom "Smitty" Smith, has poured into this effort. We have also been blessed with the help of Stacey Abel, our Policy and Communications Director.
This spring alone, we have met or made presentations to ERCOT, LCRA, CPS, AECT, OMCOR, the Chairman of the PUC, Plug-in Texas, the National Alliance for Transportation Electrification, and a host of elected officials who will be critical to our effort in preparing Texas roads and infrastructure for the transportation transformation that is on the near horizon.
We are over 70 transportation professionals, utility execs, car and truck manufacturers, and academic thinkers, along with electric owners and activists who want to work together to shape the future.
Our Mission is to guide and accelerate the adoption of electrical transportation in all its forms in the most cost effective way providing maximum benefit to the Citizens of Texas.
If you haven't yet joined us, I hope you will.
Please enjoy the 4-minute video (below) from our TxETRA Launch on April 6th where we were joined by Phil Jones, Executive Director of the national Alliance for Transportation Electrification, Austin Mayor Steve Adler, and a host of other distinguished leaders who are applauding our efforts.
Our Executive director Tom Smith says it well:
"We are at the frontier of developing new ways of transporting ourselves across Texas and we need your help to make it happen. Electrified transportation is growing rapidly all over the world because it lowers operating costs and reduces emissions, while creating new business and manufacturing opportunities.
It’s already cheaper to own and fuel an electric vehicle - and it will be cheaper to buy an electric vehicle by 2025. The transformation in how we transport ourselves is largely being driven and developed in Asia and Europe, and so the change will occur with or without policy changes in the U.S. How Texas responds will determine whether we are in the driver’s seat or in the back of the bus.
As battery technology continues to evolve at lightning speed, people are turning to electric vehicles for health, environmental and economic reasons. Moreover, a recent AAA customer survey revealed that 20% of American drivers indicated that their next car would be an electric vehicle. We believe it is our responsibility to put the infrastructure in place to be ready for this future that is racing quickly toward us."
Yesterday I drove my "S" to San Antonio to see a dear friend who had just received a new set of LUNGS at University Hospital. Going to the other side of SA on a 102 degree day made the 85 mile drive a 105 mile drive with the Air Conditioner going strong. With my 235 mile range, that made the return trip a little close, so I stopped at the super convenient super charger in San Marcos behind the outlet mall at mile marker 200 on Centerpoint road. I had about 60 miles left.
I plugged in and watched through the window as the charge took hold. As it reached 100 KW, I walked off to the POLO shop. In 15 minutes or so, I bought a new Ralph Lauren sport coat and came back to a car with 180 miles of charge.
Going electric is different. And you don't realize what a healthy luxury it is to NEVER stop at a nasty, stinking, oil soaked gas station again...until you experience it.
You can even get a little shopping done.
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