EV Charging in Colorado

Colorado hit a national record 32.4% EV market share in Q3 2025 before sales fell sharply in Q1 2026 after the federal $7,500 credit ended and the state Innovative Motor Vehicle Credit dropped to $750. The Vehicle Exchange Colorado rebate, federal 30C residential credit (through June 30, 2026), and Xcel Energy's commercial rebates still combine to cover a meaningful share of vehicle and charger costs for buyers who qualify.

Last updated June 2026

EV Charging Snapshot

Strong

EV Adoption Rate: 27.3%
Public Chargers: 8,285
Top Incentive: VXC Trade-In Rebate, up to $9,000 for income-qualified buyers

Adoption score

8/10

What applies to your address?

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EV adoption snapshot

EVs registered in Colorado

90,980

2024 data · U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center

EV adoption by county: top 10

County-level light-duty plug-in EV registrations.

County	Registered EVs	Share of state
Arapahoe County	14,900	16.4%
Boulder County	14,600	16.0%
Jefferson County	13,100	14.4%
Denver County	12,400	13.6%
Douglas County	11,800	13.0%
El Paso County	8,900	9.8%
Larimer County	7,100	7.8%
Adams County	6,300	6.9%
Broomfield County	3,500	3.8%
Weld County	3,100	3.4%

Source: Colorado Energy Office · 2024 data

Utilities serving Colorado

Utility coverage for Colorado is being expanded. Major utility pages will appear here as they ship.

Residential Incentives

Colorado Innovative Motor Vehicle Credit

$750 base for new BEVs/PHEVs (MSRP ≤ $80,000); additional $2,500 for vehicles with MSRP ≤ $35,000

Colorado residents purchasing or leasing a qualifying new light-duty EV titled and registered in Colorado; leases must run at least two years. Credit dropped from $3,500 in tax year 2025 to $750 in tax year 2026 under the scheduled phase-down.

Apply / learn more →

Vehicle Exchange Colorado (VXC) Program

Up to $9,000 for new BEV/PHEV (MSRP ≤ $80,000); up to $6,000 for used BEV/PHEV (MSRP ≤ $50,000)

Income-qualified Colorado residents trading in a vehicle 12 model years or older (model year 2014 or older for a 2026 application) or one that failed a Colorado emissions test. Applicants must be pre-approved before purchase or lease from one of 170+ participating dealers. Amounts increased to $9,000/$6,000 effective November 3, 2025.

Apply / learn more →

Federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit (30C)

30% of cost, up to $1,000 for residential installation

Homeowners installing qualified EV charging equipment at a principal residence in an eligible census tract (low-income or non-urban). Must be placed in service by June 30, 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act sunset.

Apply / learn more →

Xcel Energy Home Wiring and Charger Rebate

Up to $1,300 for wiring; up to $1,500 for required panel upgrade

Xcel Energy Colorado residential customers installing a qualifying Level 2 charger and enrolling in the EV time-of-use rate. Income-qualified customers receive enhanced amounts.

Apply / learn more →

Black Hills Energy Colorado EV Charger Rebate

Up to $500 standard; up to $1,300 for income-qualified customers

Black Hills Energy electric customers installing a Level 2 charger by a licensed electrician and enrolling in the Time-of-Day rate. Program runs through December 31, 2026 or until budget is exhausted.

Apply / learn more →

Commercial & Property Owner Incentives

Xcel Energy Commercial Level 2 Rebate

$7,085 per port ($14,170 per port in Disproportionately Impacted Communities)

Xcel Energy Colorado commercial and multifamily customers installing Level 2 EV chargers. About $20 million is available in the 2026 round on a first-come basis.

Apply / learn more →

Xcel Energy DC Fast Charger Rebate

$45,000 per port ($130,000 per port in Disproportionately Impacted Communities)

Xcel Energy commercial customers installing publicly accessible DC fast chargers

Apply / learn more →

Federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit (30C)

Up to 30% of cost, capped at $100,000 per item of qualifying property

Businesses installing EV charging in eligible census tracts (low-income or non-urban). Bonus rate requires prevailing wage and apprenticeship compliance. Must be placed in service by June 30, 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act sunset.

Apply / learn more →

NEVI Formula Program

Up to 80% of project costs

EV charging along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. Colorado received the final $12 million tranche of its $56.5 million NEVI allocation in October 2025 after the federal pause was lifted, and has awarded $25.6 million toward 246 fast-charging ports to date.

Apply / learn more →

Colorado DCFC Plazas Grant Program

Competitive grants from a roughly $14 million 2026 round

Public, private, and non-profit applicants installing DC fast charging plazas at priority locations identified by the Colorado Energy Office. The 2026 application window runs May 18 through July 10, 2026.

Apply / learn more →

Policy details

EV time-of-use rates

statewide

Following a 2023 Colorado PUC order, Xcel Energy's residential TOU rate is the default (with opt-out) and Black Hills Energy offers an opt-in TOU schedule. Both utilities use a 5pm to 8pm or 5pm to 9pm on-peak window on non-holiday weekdays; off-peak rates run roughly half of on-peak. Municipal utilities such as Colorado Springs Utilities run separate schedules; Xcel's plan is the closest to a statewide reference.

SourceVerified Jun 2026

Net metering / solar+EV

full retail

Colorado law requires Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy to credit residential net metering exports at the full retail rate. Systems can be sized up to 120 percent of the prior 12 months of consumption. Credits roll forward monthly and can be cashed out annually at avoided cost. Coverage extends to investor-owned utilities; municipal utilities and cooperatives run their own programs.

SourceVerified Jun 2026

Right to charge

Statute on books

Colorado prohibits common interest community associations from unreasonably restricting installation or use of an EV charging system. HB23-1233 (2023) expanded the original 2013 statute to cover assigned, deeded, and shared parking spaces plus commercial rental property, and bars landlords or associations from prohibiting an EV from parking on the premises. Owners pay installation, comply with reasonable architectural standards, and register the system with the association within 30 days.

Citation: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-33.3-106.8

Applies to: single family hoa, condo, rental

SourceVerified Jun 2026

EV registration fees

Beyond the base plug-in fee, Colorado assesses a separate Road Usage Equalization Fee at registration (about $28 per EV in 2026, scaled from $20 in 2025), inflation-adjusted annually under HB21-1260. Recorded values are the base PEV fee; the equalization fee stacks on top.

EV: $51/year

PHEV: $51/year

SourceVerified Jun 2026

Public charging network

Tesla Supercharger, ChargePoint, Electrify America, and EVgo are all active in Colorado. The I-25, I-70, and US-36 corridors are well-served. Denver and Boulder have high charger density. Mountain resort corridors (Vail, Aspen, Summit County) have strong coverage due to early adoption in those markets.

Station-network counts for Colorado will appear here once the next AFDC ingest runs.

Regulatory Environment

Colorado adopted Advanced Clean Cars II, requiring an escalating percentage of ZEV sales toward 100% by 2035. The Colorado Energy Office and CDOT are co-administering NEVI funding, with the final $12 million tranche approved in October 2025. HB 1161 (2023) requires EV charging readiness in new construction, and HB24-1173 (2024) standardized EV charger permitting in larger counties and municipalities, with a December 31, 2025 compliance deadline and ENERGY STAR certification required for chargers sold in the state starting July 1, 2026. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy's multiyear EV charging program, which is the source of the commercial rebates above.