Colorado’s best places to recharge

DENVER — Tens of millions of Americans are expected to hit the highways this summer for road trips, often to state or national parks. For many drivers, 2024 marks their first year behind the wheel of an electric vehicle. 

A new interactive map from Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center, U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Environment America Research and Policy Center and Frontier Group helps those newbies, as well as early adopters of EVs, find state and national parks where they can plug in their electric vehicles while enjoying nature. 

“Colorado is making significant strides in EV adoption and infrastructure, allowing EV owners to power up while exploring our beautiful parks,” said Henry Stiles, Advocate Environment Colorado. “This reduces air pollution and our dependency on fossil fuels.”

The interactive map highlights more than 260 large state and national parks across the country with EV chargers either in them or nearby. It also shows the progress made by several states in making the great outdoors accessible to people driving electric vehicles.

Transportation is the United States’ No. 1 source of the pollution that is causing the world to warm, and shifting to electric vehicles can dramatically reduce that pollution. Climate change threatens the health of our forests and ecosystems, and is irrevocably changing the character of America’s most beloved natural places.

“Colorado’s commitment to expanding EV infrastructure is setting a standard,” said Stiles. “By fall of 2023, 14.5% of new vehicle registrations in Colorado were EVs, reflecting our state’s leadership in clean transportation. Visiting our parks by EV is a proactive step towards preserving their beauty for future generations.”

The number of charging stations around the country is ramping up. Nearly one out of every five EV charging ports available nationwide at the end of 2023 had been installed in the previous year.

“Colorado is a national leader in EV-friendly policies, ranking #5 for EV sales and #3 for EV incentives and charging infrastructure,” Stiles added. “Our state’s efforts, bolstered by public and private investments and supported by initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act, ensure that range anxiety becomes a thing of the past. This makes enjoying our natural parks easier and more sustainable for EV drivers.”