Fort Collins staff outline EV readiness roadmap, stressing equity and charging costs

Dash Abubar Hall, a transportation planner with FC Moves, presented an update on the city’s Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap during a Fort Collins City Council work session, describing both adoption trends and infrastructure gaps.

The roadmap update matters because the number of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the Fort Collins area has grown rapidly since the last plan, while public charging — especially so-called level 3 fast chargers — remains scarce and costly to install. Staff said the update emphasizes equity, residential charging for renters and multifamily residents, and strategies to prioritize sites and funding.

Hall told council staff framed the EVRR in two parts: a public education section and a second section of strategies and recommendations. He said the updated vision for the plan is: "Fort Collins will promote the community's adoption of electric vehicles through equitable access to charging infrastructure, engaging outreach and education, and innovative policy approaches, and leading by example." He said the update adds an explicit equity goal and a mobility goal to include electrified alternatives such as e-bikes and car-share programs.

Staff summarized community outreach. A 30-minute online survey drew about 303 responses; respondents who already own EVs tended to be single-family homeowners with access to at-home charging. Focus groups with largely Spanish-speaking and multifamily residents showed interest in EVs but limited visibility of public chargers in neighborhoods they use; participants asked for multilingual outreach, hands-on workshops and address of up-front costs. Hall said staff heard repeatedly that access to home charging is the largest barrier to adopting EVs and that purchasing cost—often a perception as well as a real barrier—remains important.

Staff presented a snapshot of local infrastructure and adoption. As presented, Fort Collins-area registrations have grown from roughly 600 at the time of the last plan to about 5,300 EVs; staff said that is about 4.3% of the light-vehicle fleet. Public charging inventory cited by staff included about 47 level 2 ports and six level 3 ports; Hall noted two level 3 ports had been added in the prior six months. "The high purchase price remains a huge barrier to many," Hall said, and he emphasized that access to charging at home and at work is critical for broader adoption.

Council members pressed staff on several technical constraints. Hall explained that level 3 fast chargers require three-phase, 480-volt service and can trigger substantial utility capacity fees and interconnection costs; those capacity and connection fees can exceed the cost of the charging unit itself and make many private providers reluctant to install fast chargers in Fort Collins. Hall said Light and Power has explained these fees reflect the actual costs of providing service, but he noted charging providers have told staff the upfront fees make Fort Collins unattractive under the providers’ business models.

Staff listed roughly two dozen recommended actions across eight goal areas, ranging from outreach and education to incentives for income-qualified buyers and targeted infrastructure investments. Hall told council staff plan to finalize the document soon, convene an EV working group drawn from the prior technical advisory committee and then prioritize strategies and owner departments for the next two years.

Councilors asked about downtown and Old Town solutions for residents without garages; Hall said on-street charging and shared public chargers in neutral public spaces were possible approaches and that staff will identify code or technical barriers to discuss with council. Councilmembers also raised maintenance concerns for public chargers and the experience that a nontrivial share of public chargers nationally can be out of service; Hall said the city learned from an early generation of chargers that maintenance and long-term funding for upkeep are critical and frequently underestimated.

Staff said next steps are finalizing the EVRR document, forming the implementation working group, and producing a short-term two-year action plan listing responsible departments and potential funding approaches. Hall emphasized any public-charger commitments would be strategic and funded with maintenance and staffing needs defined ahead of time.

Ending: The presentation closed with staff asking council for feedback on priorities and locations to consider; staff will return with the final document and begin convening the working group to begin short-term prioritization.