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Colorado’s New EV Plan

by Sarah Kelly 0 Comments

Colorado rolled out their 2020 EV plan on Earth Day! A lot has happened since the state’s first EV Plan came out in 2018. According to the Colorado Energy Office:

  • The number of EVs registered in Colorado more than doubled from 11,238 in August 2017 to over 24,000 in June 2019,
  • Awarded a contract to ChargePoint for the build-out of EV fast-charging stations at 33 sites along Colorado’s major transportation corridors.
    • We’re still waiting for the SW Colorado fast chargers planned under this award to be installed in Cortez, Durango, Silverton and Pagosa Springs. I’m told they should be in by this summer, but Covid19 may have further stalled progress.
  • Adoption of a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) standard in August 2019.

I haven’t had a chance to read the plan yet, but you can find Colorado’s 2020 EV Plan here. The vision for the Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan 2020 is:

Large-scale transition of Colorado’s transportation system to zero emission vehicles, with a long-term goal of 100% of light-duty vehicles being electric and 100% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles being zero emission. 

Colorado EV 2020 webpage

This will be accomplished by taking actions to meet five goals: 

  • 1) Increasing the number of light-duty EVs to 940,000 by 2030
  • 2) Developing plans for transitioning medium-duty (MDV), heavy-duty (HDV) and transit vehicles to ZEVs
  • 3) Developing an EV infrastructure goal by undertaking a gap analysis to identify the type and number of charging stations needed across the state to meet 2030 light-duty vehicle (LDV), MDV and HDV goals
  • 4) State government agencies meeting directives and goals related to EVs from the updated Greening State Government Executive Order
  • 5) Developing a roadmap to full electrification of the light-duty vehicle fleet in Colorado

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New Mexico Charges Up EV Infrastructure!

by Sarah Kelly 0 Comments

Some great Earth Day news from New Mexico for EV drivers! New Mexico awarded the maximum amount allowed under the Volkswagen settlement agreement, 2.7 million, for electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects. More than 116 new charging stations will be built in 23 of New Mexico’s 33 counties.

In a rural state like New Mexico, installing charging infrastructure is critical to encouraging and increasing the use of electric vehicles, resulting in fewer emissions and better air quality, as well as decreasing the state’s contribution to global warming.

NMED’s VW Settlement Funding Recipient Announcement

The chargers planned for the Four Corners area include:

  • Farmington – Level 2 at Farmington Workforce Development Connection,
  • Five DC Fast Chargers (DCFC) and 11 Level 2 chargers for various municipalities and the Picuris and Taos Pueblos in the Kit Carson Electric Coop service area,
  • Santa Fe – Several new Level 2 locations,
  • Albuquerque – Many new Level 2 locations, including the UNM Hospital and UNM Campus, and DCFCs at the Sunport Airport and Bernallio Road Runner Station,
  • Los Alamos – DCFC and a Level 2 at the White Rock Visitors Center,
  • AND forty-nine new DCFC stations across the state.

The Earth Day Announcement didn’t include a timeline for the installation of these charging stations. Keep an eye on PlugShare over the next year to see where they pop up.

Here’s a link to the complete list of charging station locations. And here’s a link to NM Environment Department’s full announcement.

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April DEVC Newsletter – with CO Legislative Updates

by Sarah Kelly 0 Comments
A gathering of Teslas in Durango, CO

I hope everyone is weathering the Covid 19 shutdowns well, and if you’re able, helping those who aren’t in whatever ways you can. It’s saddening to see how many workers deemed essential to our economy are the same workers who have no or limited health insurance and paid sick leave. It’s my hope that when this time of crisis is over, we re-evaluate how we value and reward people’s work, whether it’s a migrant farm worker picking our fruits and vegetables in the field, the person behind the cash register or stocking the shelves at our grocery stores and pharmacies, people who give care and comfort to our elderly and children, or the janitorial and cleaning staff that keep our public buildings and medical centers clean and sanitary.

One thing remaining consistent this month is the arrival of the Denver Electric Vehicle Council’s newsletter. It includes a section on Colorado Legislative Update related to EVs which I greatly appreciate for letting me know when to make my voice heard in the statehouse on EV-related issues. I also enjoy reading about what other EV groups and related businesses are doing in other parts of the state.

DEVC Newsletter, Apr ’20Download

In this issue, David at DEVC asks if it’s time to retire the newsletter. I hope it continues in some form. I like the pdf format as a document I can scan over and read the items that catch my eye. Please take a minute to look this one over and email David your feedback on if and how you’d like him to continue the newsletter. You can also leave a comment on this post if that’s easier. I’ll make sure David gets your feedback.

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