GoEV Cities and Counties: Leading CO toward a 100% electric-powered transportation future

Denver: Expanding the electric car share program in under-resourced communities 

Mike Salisbury, Transportation Energy Lead for the City and County of Denver, shared about the expansion of their electric car share program in under-resourced communities.  

After receiving funding in 2020 through the Federal CARES act, Denver ramped up their electric car share program to include 7 electric vehicles (EVs), 5 charging stations, and launched an outreach and discount program for income-qualified residents.  Residents can apply for the program by visiting carshare.org. 

The following map shows current electric car share locations:   

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Denver electric car share locations - Mike Salisbury, City of Denver

The selected locations are places where residents will be less likely to afford owning and operating their own electric vehicle or less likely to have dedicated off-street parking to charge it at.  In the map above, the darker areas represent lower equity neighborhoods that “can best make use of additional mobility resources,” Mike explained.  

As Denver moves toward 100% electric-powered transportation across the city, this program is helping develop effective ways to expand electric vehicle access in these communities.  

While some locations are having more success than others, the pilot program is learning what types of locations and models are most effective.  Moving forward, Denver is seeking partnerships to increase the number of electric cars and charging stations and to continue outreach and promotion of the program. 

Boulder - Vehicle-to-building charging pilot at North Boulder Rec Center uses EV batteries to reduce peak demand and save operating costs

The City of Boulder has long been a leader in electrification, as Energy Strategy Coordinator Matt Lehrman presented a leading-edge vehicle-to-building pilot project currently underway at the North Boulder Recreation Center.

In this program, the electric vehicle’s battery charges overnight when the demand for energy in the  building is low, and then discharges its energy back to the building during the daytime when electricity demand is high. 

This project highlights how recent changes in technology have opened up new opportunities for innovation, and has proven the technology works to reduce peak demand (the period of time when the demand on the electric grid is the highest) and offer real savings in building operations.  

Since installing the charger in September 2020, in 9 of the first 10 months they successfully reduced peak demand by about 15 kilowatts [per month].  At a rate ranging seasonally from $17-$21/kilowatt, it amounts to a meaningful demand savings of a few hundred dollars a month.  

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Vehicle to building charging pilot, Matt Lehrman - City of Boulder

While most of the project has taken place during limited hours of operation due to COVID restrictions, Boulder is now tracking the pilot as hours are increased and we expect more data soon.  

Fort Collins - An Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap ties together priorities, policies, and strategies to hit key milestones

Amanda Mansfield, Transportation Coordinator for the City of Fort Collins presented the City’s Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap, sharing key strategies they have implemented to move toward their goal of 100% electric transportation.

Key accomplishments include updating public charging infrastructure, electrification of municipal vehicles, updating building codes, and increasing access to e-bikes and e-scooters.  

Additionally, Mansfield stressed the importance of aligning with other city and statewide plans, such as the Colorado EV Plan of 2020 and the City’s master plan and legislative policy agenda.  

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Strategies for transportation electrification - Amanda Mansfield, City of Fort Collins

Fort Collins continues to pursue additional capacity at the city around EVs moving forward, including hiring an full-time EV coordinator and expanding community outreach.