August 2021

Electric Vehicles in Colorado

In Colorado, the transportation sector is a major source of greenhouse gas pollution.

Owning an EV or PHEV can mean savings in maintenance costs because motors and drivetrain components have fewer moving parts. In comparison, ICE require changing engine oil, timing belt, head gasket, fuel pump, water pump over time.  Over a car’s lifetime (e.g., 200K miles) ICE maintenance averages $12,000 compared to $6000 for EV (tires, brakes, wipers, etc.).  “EV owners save thousands on repair and maintenance costs over time compared [to]… gas-powered engines.” [Consumer Reports Nov 2020]

M.I.T published a study comparing average costs per month over 15 years using purchase price, maintenance costs, and national average fuel costs against consideration of environmental impacts (as CO2 emissions per mile).  Four examples show that lower initial retail cost does not automatically mean lower lifetime cost and buyers should consider the environmental impact of more GHG emissions from internal combustion engines.  “Still, the upfront cost of an electric vehicle continues to be a barrier for many would-be owners.” [New York Times 15 Jan 2021]

Tax credits can mitigate the purchase price for EV/PHEV.  Colorado offers tax credits for all-electric and plug-in hybrids.   For passenger vehicles the credit is $2500 for 2021, dropping to $2000 in 2023.  Tax credits only apply to new cars, titled & registered in Colorado. [Colo Dept Revenue publication Income 69].  Tax credits are used in the next tax year’s filing and not credited at the time of purchase. This can be a difficulty for some buyers.

Federal Tax credits can be used for EV/PHEV and range from $2500-$7500 depending on battery capacity.  Full tax credit only applies on vehicles from automakers that have not reached national sales of 200,000 units or more.  At this time, only Tesla and GM have reached the limit; full tax credits are still available for other makers.     

Buyers should check for rebates and discounts that may be available through their electric utility on purchase of certain new make/model EV.  Certain auto dealerships are offering rebates and discounts including on certain pre-owned EV. 

“Range anxiety” is a persistent concern of potential adopters.  That is, expected miles that can be traveled on a full charge.  Charging ports are described by shorthand terms.

Charging infrastructure in Colorado is expanding.  The Charge Ahead grant program supports installing DCFC along major highways and has partnered with ChargePoint.  CEO web site provides links for maps and listing of Level 2 and DCFC throughout the state and filters to assist trip planning.   As of July 2021, the three main networks in Colorado were ChargePoint, Tesla, and Electrify America.  There are many additional, smaller networks. 

• ChargePoint has 1659 Level 2 ports at 834 locations and 66 DCFC at 65 locations.
• Tesla has 354 “destination” ports (Level 2) at 97 locations and 213 DCFC at 25 locations.
• Electrify America has 116 DCFC at 28 locations.