Colorado, Automakers Shake Hands Ahead of EV Plunge

There’s still two weeks to go before a crucial state regulatory board decision, but Colorado and two groups representing the lion’s share of global automakers have sealed a deal to adopt California’s Zero Emission Vehicle standard.

News of the pact adds weight to Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ decision, in January, to pursue a ZEV initiative, joining 10 other states who’ve signed onto the mandate. If passed into law, consumers will gain plenty of green choice while automakers will be forced to put up or pay up.

“The long and short of it is that it gives us the credits we need to successfully transition into (Colorado’s) program while ensuring that ZEVs will continue to increase in the Colorado marketplace,” Bryan Goodman, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, told the Colorado Sun. “We’re very excited because it meets everyone’s goals.”

Both the Alliance and Global Automakers signed off on the deal, which allows automakers to collect credits for EV sales for two years preceding the law’s 2023 start date. Companies will also be allowed to use a certain amount of credits earned in other states to apply to their Colorado sales goal, but only for the 2023-2025 period. For automakers who begin selling EVs prior to the 2023 model year, the figure is 23 percent.

Automakers with EV-free inventories that start selling in 2023 can apply credits from other states to 36 percent of their Colorado goal. The proposal would see automakers attempt to make ZEVs account for almost 5 percent of their vehicles sold in the state, though that’s just a starting point. Colorado would ratchet up the EV mix in subsequent years.

Of course, barriers to consumer adoption remain the same as anywhere else. Range, entry price, recharging times, and recharging infrastructure will all need to improve to help move residents of the Mile High City and environs into greener choices.

[Image: General Motors]