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The Electric Vehicle Era Is Coming to Colorado
The state has high hopes for zero-emission vehicles, but Coloradans may need a little convincing.Lindsey B. King •
April 1, 2021
Doing Their Part: Colorado’s Zero-Emissions Vehicles Standards
Both Denver and the state of Colorado are working to ensure we can get here, there, and everywhere in zero-emissions vehicles.
The Toyota Prius. The Tesla Roadster. The Chevy Volt. The Nissan LEAF. Until roughly 2012, these were consumers’ only real options for low- or zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV). Since then, automakers have been adding to that list, but they had little incentive to put new electric vehicle (EV) models on local lots. That changed in 2019, when Colorado adopted ZEV standards. “The standards will have a real impact on what carmakers make available here,” says Mike Salisbury, transportation energy lead for Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency. “I’m not knocking the LEAF, but not everyone wants a hatchback. Coloradans want SUVs.”