Electric Vehicles

Battery-powered electric cars and trucks are making a return to the world stage as concerns about oil supply, oil price, and climate change have shifted market interest to low-carbon transportation.


Moreover, electric vehicles are fun to drive, don't generate polluting tailpipe emissions, and are less costly to maintain.

Electric vehicles can travel long distances

Public-access electric vehicle charging stations are being installed in communities across the country. By 2019, the U.S. has 21,600 public EV charging stations, compared 500 in 2010. In Colorado, there are 714 public stations with 1,932 charging plugs.

Electricity is the lowest-cost fuel for vehicles

The U.S. Department of Energy has analyzed the energy content of gasoline and electricity and the efficiency of gas-powered engines and electric-powered motors to compare the costs of driving.

Using the energy in a gallon of gasoline as the baseline, and the fact that electric motors are 3.4 times more efficient than internal combustion engines, DOE developed the "e-gallon" to measure the cost of driving electric vehicles.

In Colorado, gasoline costs $2.82 per gallon (May 2019) compared to $1.10 for an e-gallon.

Try out the U.S. Department of Energy's e-gallon state-by-state calculator to get today's price comparisons.

Electric Vehicle Types

EV = Electric Vehicle: a vehicle powered all or in part by electricity

BEV = Battery Electric Vehicle: a vehicle powered only by electricity

HEV = Hybrid Electric Vehicle: powered by gasoline plus electricity, but with no port for supplemental electricity

PHEV = Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle: an HEV with an electric plug for recharging that reduces gasoline use

EREV = Extended Range Electric Vehicle: A PHEV with an on-board generator for longer trips

NEV = Neighborhood Electric Vehicle: an EV with top speed of 25 mph, meant for in-town use

Advice about EVs

CLEER's transportation program coordinator, Stefan Johnson, can explain EV purchase and EV charging options for personal use, business use and for fleets.

Contact Stefan:
(970) 704-9200 ext. 1100   /   stefan@cleanenergyeconomy.net

Learn about EV charging

If you are considering an electric vehicle, you will want to know about how and where to charge the vehicle.

You can charge at public charging stations located locally and across the state and nation. You also may be able to charge at home, at work or at school.

Find local EV charge station installers here