Younger Texas voters want electric vehicles, poll finds

More than half of Texas voters under the age of 45 say they have bought or thought about buying an electric vehicle, according to a recent survey by Dallas-based policy think tank Texas 2036.

Why it matters: Electric vehicles are billed as an environmentally friendly alternative to gas guzzlers.

• Thanks to the federal infrastructure law signed last year, Texas is set to receive about $408 million over five years to expand the state's electric car charging network.

Driving the news: Frito-Lay announced this week that its first all-electric Ford truck has arrived in Carrollton, and the company will have a fleet of 40 this summer for Dallas-Fort Worth deliveries.

• The company predicts using the electric fleet will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 390 metric tons each year. The measure is part of its goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.

By the numbers: The Texas 2036 polled 601 registered voters in March and found a stark difference in interest in electric vehicles between age groups.

• 53% of 18-34-year-olds and 56% of 35-44-year-olds have bought or considered buying an EV.

• That number falls to 34% for those 45-54 and 20% for those over 55.

Yes, but: Manufacturing EVs generates more emissions than conventional cars and EVs must be driven more to balance that difference, wrote a Harvard Law School research fellow in a DMN opinion article titled "Your Tesla is killing the planet."

What's next: The City of Dallas is studying the feasibility of using electric vehicles and will present a draft report to the environmental commission in June.