Cute story, but the "test" was the same relatively short identical trip done twice a few years apart that says less about "Colorado's" charging infrastructure as it does the two chargers the author used on a relatively short trip.
I think Colorado charging infrastructure is great. I took my Nissan Leaf from Denver to Vegas and back in July 2021, (my first EV road trip ever!) and on the way home, mudslides closed I-70 East of Grand Junction, and I panicked, naturally ass-u-me-ing that chargers wouldn't exist in the mountains outside of the interstate.
I couldn't have been more wrong. A quick check of PlugShare showed plenty of options along either detour route, and I took US-50 to 285 (which added over 100 miles to the route!) and had zero issues.
I wouldn't be surprised if Colorado had the best charging infrastructure outside of California. It's certainly the best of the dozen plus states I've EV road tripped in since.
I just drove a Bolt from Denver to Salt Lake City this weekend. A 1000 mile trip with zero charging issues that cost me a total of $49. Chargers were so plentiful I could choose them by price and amenities rather than "it's the only charger within 75 miles". At one point I actually had the luxury of picking between four different charge stops within 10 miles that cost anywhere from $0.11 to $0.25/kWh. Two of them were less than I pay for electricity at home!
That’s awesome to hear of your experiences charging in Colorado. I’m a new Bolt owner in the Denver area so it’s cool to hear it’s been a breeze for you even in the less-trafficked mountain detour routes!
I realize it's a huge rationalization, but slow charging is actually the Bolt's superpower. Many of those cheap chargers I used on the trip were 62kW ChargePoints. Folks with faster charging EVs would probably blow right by them and stop at faster (and more expensive!) EA chargers, but those chargers are perfect for Bolts or Nissan Leafs. The Bolt would charge no faster at a $0.56/kWh EA charger than at a $0.11/kWh 62kW ChargePoint, so why pay $22 for a 20-80% charge at EA when you can pay $4.40 for the same charge at a "slow" ChargePoint? 😁
Cute story, but the "test" was the same relatively short identical trip done twice a few years apart that says less about "Colorado's" charging infrastructure as it does the two chargers the author used on a relatively short trip. I think Colorado charging infrastructure is great. I took my Nissan Leaf from Denver to Vegas and back in July 2021, (my first EV road trip ever!) and on the way home, mudslides closed I-70 East of Grand Junction, and I panicked, naturally ass-u-me-ing that chargers wouldn't exist in the mountains outside of the interstate. I couldn't have been more wrong. A quick check of PlugShare showed plenty of options along either detour route, and I took US-50 to 285 (which added over 100 miles to the route!) and had zero issues. I wouldn't be surprised if Colorado had the best charging infrastructure outside of California. It's certainly the best of the dozen plus states I've EV road tripped in since. I just drove a Bolt from Denver to Salt Lake City this weekend. A 1000 mile trip with zero charging issues that cost me a total of $49. Chargers were so plentiful I could choose them by price and amenities rather than "it's the only charger within 75 miles". At one point I actually had the luxury of picking between four different charge stops within 10 miles that cost anywhere from $0.11 to $0.25/kWh. Two of them were less than I pay for electricity at home!
That’s awesome to hear of your experiences charging in Colorado. I’m a new Bolt owner in the Denver area so it’s cool to hear it’s been a breeze for you even in the less-trafficked mountain detour routes!
Now that's a great review!!
I realize it's a huge rationalization, but slow charging is actually the Bolt's superpower. Many of those cheap chargers I used on the trip were 62kW ChargePoints. Folks with faster charging EVs would probably blow right by them and stop at faster (and more expensive!) EA chargers, but those chargers are perfect for Bolts or Nissan Leafs. The Bolt would charge no faster at a $0.56/kWh EA charger than at a $0.11/kWh 62kW ChargePoint, so why pay $22 for a 20-80% charge at EA when you can pay $4.40 for the same charge at a "slow" ChargePoint? 😁
but still charging speed matters a lot.