Phillips 66 debuted an ultra-fast electric vehicle charger at its flagship gasoline station in Houston. EV charging company FreeWire Technologies designed and installed the unit, which is a first for Phillips 66 and for FreeWire in the state of Texas.
In 2021, Texas had the third-highest number of battery EV registrations in the country, after California and Florida, according to e-mobility website Electrek. Data gathered by the Texas Department of Transportation shows that by July 2022, the state had 98,945 BEVs registered, representing year-on-year growth of 55%. There are 0.0017 BEVs registered per person in Texas, whereas in California it is 0.01. Fewer than 1% of new cars are BEVs.
The deployment of EV charging at its gasoline stations is part of Phillips 66’s business focus on emerging energy and sustainability. These include renewable fuels, batteries, carbon capture and hydrogen.
“The installation of the first FreeWire EV chargers at our Phillips 66 flagship fuel station represents an important step in our EV charging journey as well as our commitment to pursue lower-carbon solutions,” Phillips 66 Vice President of U.S. Marketing Rod Palmer said in a press release.
Phillips 66 has a national network of about 7,000 Phillips 66, Conoco and 76-branded fuel retail stations. The company also produces a range of lubricants and 1.1 million tons per year of API Group II base oil in a 50/50 joint venture with Flint Hills Resources.
The state legislature released a draft plan in September to install enough charge points to support 1 million vehicles, funded by $408 million in federal money.