This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Colorado’s push for electric vehicles is getting a rare boost from President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, the state announced it’s earned federal approval to continue spending a $56.5 million grant to build high-speed EV chargers along highways. The decision unlocks an additional $12 million to help drivers take longer road trips in battery-powered cars.
“We were already working overtime to make it even more convenient for people to charge up by helping businesses build out a network of charging stations across the state, and this will continue to help us do even more of that,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a written statement.
The Trump Administration froze the funding initially awarded under former President Biden last February. Colorado and 13 other states responded with a lawsuit, which led a federal judge to order the U.S. Department of Transportation to release the money in June.
Rather than appeal the ruling, the Trump administration allowed states to reapply. Besides Colorado, at least 32 other states have won approval to begin spending the previously frozen dollars, according to Politico. Another 10 states have taken steps to unlock the funding.
“The Trump Administration deserves credit for not dragging out the fight in the courts and getting this money out the door,” said Travis Madsen, a clean transportation advocate for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.
Colorado has already spent $25.6 million through the federal initiative — known as the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program — for the construction of 246 fast-charging plugs. An additional state program funds EV fast chargers by collecting fees on retail and food deliveries, like Amazon packages and DoorDash meals.
That support has helped Colorado deploy more EV chargers than many other states. The state ranked fifth in public chargers per capita in 2024, according to an analysis published by the International Council on Clean Transportation.
A combination of generous EV subsidies have also helped Colorado achieve some of the highest EV adoption rates in the country.
The state EV tax credit, however, is set to plummet from $3,500 to $750 next year due to the state’s ongoing revenue struggles. On Sept. 30, the federal EV tax credit worth up to $7,500 also disappeared in accordance with the major budget bill signed by President Trump last summer.
To maintain some of its EV momentum, Colorado plans to boost rebates offered through a program to help middle- and low-income residents replace older gas-guzzlers with plug-in vehicles.
Starting Nov. 3, the discount available through the Vehicle Exchange Colorado Program will rise from $6,000 to $9,000 for new EV purchases and leases.
