Public charging station at Murphy Marketplace. Bob Wieland/Murphy Monitor

Collin County ranks fourth statewide in the number of electric vehicles (EV) registered, according to Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). 

Overall, Texas had 217,000 EVs registered as of Aug. 22.

Although Harris County (Houston) led with more than 30,000 EVs registered, followed by Travis County (Austin), Dallas and Collin Counties were neck and neck, with 21,644 in Dallas County and 21,274 in Collin County.

Data showed Tesla vehicles accounted for more than half the EVs in Texas, with the Model 3 leading, followed by the Models Y, S and X. The Chevrolet Volt was the next-most-popular model, the data found.

Most Texas EVs were 2023 models, followed by 2022 and 2021.

The NCTCOG found Wylie had 677 registered EVs, followed by Murphy with 418, Sachse with 378, Princeton with 217 and Farmersville with 45.

There were many factors driving EV adoption, said Brian Wilson, communications supervisor for the NCTCOG. 

“Environmental concerns are a significant factor, but there are other factors as well,” he said. “These include federal and state incentives, a lower total cost of ownership from the decreased fuel and maintenance costs and less noise pollution.”

EV Evolution

Early hybrid electric vehicles like the Toyota Prius, introduced in Japan in 1997, did not offer plug-in charging of the batteries. 

These vehicles used a system known as “regenerative braking” to charge the batteries while driving, and the gasoline engine played a significant role in recharging the

By Bob Wieland • [email protected]

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