Free Plug-Ins for Electric Vehicles Likely Won't Last

Free charging stations for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles in Colorado likely won't last due to the high cost of construction of the facilities.

1 minute read

September 24, 2011, 9:00 AM PDT

By Cathie Pagano


Colorado currently has approximately 27 mostly free charging stations, says Finley. Due to the high cost of constructing charging stations and cost of electricity the free price tag is unlikely to last, according to Finley.

"When Boulder officials recently embarked on a federally funded project to install 40 free charging stations around the city, they found they cost $16,000 each - quadruple what was expected, city fleet manager Joe Castro said. Only two have been built. Boulder now plans to build 20 stations, not 40, and to charge drivers $1 an hour to plug in."

"Free public recharging options "are not going to last," said Bill Reinert, national manager of Toyota's advanced-technology group. "Too expensive. Electricity is going to get more expensive for everybody."

Thanks to Cathie Pagano

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

People board a bus in Seattle.

Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion

Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.

November 6 - KOMO News

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.