$120,000 Charge Ahead Colorado grant to boost city’s efforts to electrify its fleet

$120,000 Charge Ahead Colorado Grant to Boost City's Efforts to Electrify its Fleet

The City of Boulder is getting a boost in its efforts to electrify its fleet. Charge Ahead Colorado, a grant program run by two state agencies, has awarded the city $120,000 to install 19 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers across 16 city facilities.

The additional charging stations will allow the city to bring more EVs to its fleet. The city has a fleet of more than 500 vehicles that assist many city departments, including Parks and Recreation, Utilities, Transportation and Mobility and Police. In a 2020 resolution, the city committed to transitioning its fleet in alignment with the state’s target of one million EVs on the road by 2030. The City of Boulder has already introduced 31 electric vehicles into its fleet, recognizing that today’s EV technology meets the functional needs of many types of fleet vehicles and offers additional community benefit.

“Expanding the city electric vehicle fleet improves local air quality, reduces maintenance costs and encourages other fleet managers to do the same,” said Energy Strategy Coordinator Matt Lehrman. “Considering that transportation is now the number one source of emissions in Colorado, transitioning to electric vehicles is essential to meeting our climate targets. This funding will help us to do just that.”

The new charging stations will be installed at hubs for city fleet vehicles, including the Alpine Balsam campus, Fire Training Center, Municipal Service Center, Open Space and Mountain Parks Annex and 1500 Pearl parking garage. Most of these charging stations will be for city use only. Construction is expected to begin later this year.

“We are honored to receive this Charge Ahead Colorado grant,” said Director of Facilities and Fleet Joanna Crean. “This grant will help us meet environmental goals for city vehicles, including reducing emissions and reducing the use of petroleum-based fuels.”

This is not the first time the city has received grants from Charge Ahead Colorado. The fund has also supported publicly available and city fleet charging stations in the downtown parking garages, at the Scott Carpenter Pool and Boulder Reservoir. Local businesses are also eligible for Charge Ahead Colorado funds and can apply online.

Find an EV Charger Near You

About Charge Ahead Colorado

The Colorado Energy Office and Regional Air Quality Council jointly administer the Charge Ahead Colorado electric vehicle EV charging infrastructure grant program. Grants are available for electric vehicles and community-based Level 2 and Level 3 charging stations. Program objectives include improving air quality, encouraging deployment of EVs across the state, and supporting implementation of the Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan 2020. Since its inception in 2013, the Charge Ahead Colorado program has made awards for more than 1,000 EV charging stations across the state.

Keep Reading