Ozone is the toxic air pollutant that has a lot of smart people on the Front Range really befuddled right now. Colorado is making big cuts to greenhouse gases, mainly by closing coal-fired power plants even faster than expected. New laws, and old cars switched out for new ones, have made steep cuts to the […]
EVs
Posted inBusiness, Environment, News, Transportation
Colorado gas is at $5. In electric vehicle vs. gas car, who wins?
Gas prices neared $5 a gallon last week, according to AAA Colorado, so it’s time for a detailed breakdown of what it would cost the average person to run an electric vehicle for a year compared to a traditional car at sky-high fuel prices. With help from Matt Frommer, a transportation analyst and spreadsheet fanatic […]
Posted inHousing, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
Colorado’s governor vetoes bill that would have required developers to include electric vehicle chargers
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday evening vetoed a bill that would have forced developers of new large commercial and multifamily residential buildings to set aside a portion of parking spaces to serve as electric vehicle charging stations. “I fully understand that with current technology, installing EV charging up front can be less expensive over […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, News
Colorado new car sales tilt more toward EVs, but some green states are doing better
Colorado car buyers continued their steady push for fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electrics in the first quarter of 2022, though overall sales are down from lack of supply and spiking interest rates, a car dealers’ analysis said. Tesla sales were up 38% from the first quarter of 2021, leading the charge for Colorado’s […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Economy, Energy, Environment, News
Colorado joins in effort to develop “hydrogen hub” to make clean-burning fuel for vehicles more available
By Mead Gruver, The Associated Press CHEYENNE— Four Rocky Mountain states will cooperate on developing ways to make the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen, more available and useful as clean-burning fuel for cars, trucks and trains, the states’ governors announced Thursday. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming will plan a “hydrogen hub” to […]
Posted inClimate, Energy, Environment, News
Colorado EV sales grew a lot in 2021. But was it enough to counter the impact of red-hot gas SUVs?
Sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles grew fast enough in 2021 that Colorado is on track to meet climate change goals, according to year-end statistics and state Energy Office analysts. But the state calculation of last year’s EV market share is 25% higher than the Colorado Auto Dealers Association analysis. Meanwhile, the […]
Posted inClimate, Energy, Environment, News
Stingy car electrification plan by Black Hills Energy drives Pueblo inequity, advocates say
Jamie Valdez is on the lookout for a used car deal, and the longtime Pueblo environmental activist is ready to put his money where his advocacy is. But the used hybrid he wants rarely turns up in southern Colorado car markets, and when one does, the price has jumped again. National electric vehicle reports say […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News
Xcel Energy needs a smarter, greener electric grid. But should Colorado customers foot the $344 million bill for it?
Xcel Energy is pushing for a record $344 million rate increase it says it needs to build a smarter, greener electric grid. But consumer advocates and state regulators are pushing back over the price tag. A major concern is that along with an earlier rate increase and other pending requests since the start of 2020, […]
Posted inEnvironment, News
Here’s where you can recycle a used electric vehicle or hybrid-electric battery in Colorado
Looking to recycle a used electric vehicle or hybrid-electric battery? Good luck. But we’ll try to help. Thankfully, researchers from Colorado State University did much of the calling around for you as part of a state-sponsored study. Do not be discouraged that two direct quotes from the study are: “Gets requests all the time but […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News
Colorado drivers could use a “coach” to get them to buy more EVs
One seldom-explained job of an electric-vehicle coach is to assure people they’re not seeing ghosts. Julia Moravcsik likes to take the EV-curious to the parking lot at National Center for Atmospheric Research, on Table Mesa above Boulder, and demonstrate her car’s “Smart summon” mode. With an all-electric Tesla, the driver can stand at the curb […]