What does it cost to charge an EV in Colorado?
At Colorado’s average electricity rate of 16.3¢/kWh, a typical driver (13,500 mi/yr, mostly home charging) spends about $861 a year — roughly 6.4¢ per mile, and around $789 less than the same miles in a 27 MPG gas car. Run your own numbers below.
Independent estimate for guidance only. Time-of-use rates, your specific EV and public-charging habits will change the real figure.
Why Colorado charging costs what it does
Colorado homes pay about 16.3¢/kWh, which is 2.1¢ below the US average. Because home electricity is the main driver of EV running cost, that puts Colorado drivers toward the cheaper end for charging. Charging more at home (versus public fast-charging at $0.40–0.50/kWh) lowers it further.
Colorado electricity price trend
Average residential rate, monthly, May 2023 – Apr 2026. Up 15% over the period.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electric Power Monthly · range 14.14–16.79¢/kWh
A worked example for Colorado
Average driver: 13,500 miles a year, 3.3 mi/kWh, 85% charged at home.
Gas comparison: 27 MPG at $3.30/gal. Adjust everything in the calculator above.
Cut it further with solar
If you charge at home, your EV runs on whatever your roof or the grid supplies. Pairing an EV with rooftop solar can drop your effective charging cost well below the grid rate — see whether that maths works where you live with our Colorado solar payback calculator.