DALLAS - North Texas state and local governments will be working with Ford Motor Company and Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC to help prepare the region for the operation of electric vehicles, according to a news release.

Ford and Oncor announced the partnership in Dallas as part of its "Charging Into the Future Electric Vehicle Tour." In the next two years, Ford will bring five new electrified vehicles to market, according to the company. Oncor has already installed more than a million smart meters, providing information to help customers charge vehicles when rates are lowest, and will build new transmission lines in West Texas for electric vehicle charging.

The Dallas event also ties into the region's Electric Vehicles North Texas Initiative led by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The initiative was developed to coordinate collaboration with utility companies, regional governments, school districts, transit authorities, and local businesses in an effort to develop a plan that prepares North Texas for the transition to plug-in electric vehicles.