EV fast-charging comes to southwest Colorado

Statewide - Drivers of electric vehicles headed to the far southwest corner of Colorado this summer can now quickly recharge their batteries thanks to the opening of a new DC fast-charging station in Cortez.

The new station, located at the Safeway store at 1510 Main St. in Cortez, was built with federal funds administered through the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Energy Office. The Cortez station is the sixth site funded through the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, with another 12 expected to open across the state over the summer and fall of 2025.

"The completion of this DC fast-charging station fills a previous charging gap of more than 120 miles between Durango and Bluff, Utah," said Sally Chafee, acting director of CDOT. "With this new bank of EV chargers, visitors headed to Mesa Verde or the Four Corners or driving the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway will know they can quickly recharge their electric vehicles and explore some of Colorado's most beautiful landscapes without range anxiety."

Direct Current Fast-Charging is the quickest form of EV charging, reaching 80% charge in as little as 20 minutes for some vehicles. The Cortez charging station will have eight dual-port chargers that can accommodate NACS and CCS charging connections.

“Colorado is committed to ensuring a robust fast-charging network across the state so that people can get where they need to go in an EV,” said Colorado Energy Office Executive Director Will Toor. “As summer approaches, this is yet another spot to fast-charge en route to the marvels southwest Colorado has to offer.”

According to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, in the fourth quarter of 2024, Colorado was No. 1 in percentage of EV registrations nationwide at 26.4% (California came in second at 26.2%). This is in no small part because of the state's incentives for EV buyers and because of its aggressive program of building out a network of charging stations. Colorado has gone from 40% of the state highway network being within 30 miles of a DC fast charger in 2020 to now 83% of the state being within the 30-mile radius with the addition of the Cortez station.

“Mesa Verde Country is excited about the new fast charging EV station in our Cortez Safeway parking lot,” said Brian Bartlett, CEO of Mesa Verde Country, which promotes tourism in southwest Colorado. “By enhancing community vitality through clean transportation and empowering drivers to choose a sustainable path, this venture further allows and encourages travelers on our Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway to help with ensuring everyone has access to a clean energy future, in Mesa Verde Country and beyond.”