The short answer: A 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD costs about $4.72 per 100 miles to charge at home in Colorado, and $15.44 for the energy to drive its 327-mile EPA range. That uses the August 2026 residential average of 17.17¢/kWh, up from 16.21¢/kWh in August 2025 and about 5% below the U.S. residential average of 18.16¢/kWh. The same 100 miles cost about $14.67 in a 30-mpg gas SUV at AAA’s Colorado average of $4.402 a gallon (October 28, 2026), and about $14.85 at a public DC fast charger.
EIA Table 5.6.A: EIA labels the 2026 values in this table as preliminary estimates based on a cutoff model sample from Form EIA-861M (formerly EIA-826). Values for 2025 are final. These are state or district-wide residential averages, not a household tariff. Method.
EV vs gas in Colorado: cost per 100 miles
Colorado’s regular gas averaged $4.402 a gallon on October 28, 2026, the 15th-most expensive among the 50 states and the District (AAA).
| How you fuel | Math | Per 100 mi | 12,000 mi/yr | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, charged at home | 17.17¢/kWh × 27.50 kWh | $4.72 | $566 | EPA · EIA |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, public DC fast | $0.540/kWh × 27.50 kWh | $14.85 | $1,782 | Paren, U.S. average |
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 (2.5 L hybrid, 2WD) | $4.402/gal ÷ 43 mpg | $10.24 | $1,228 | EPA · AAA |
| 2026 Honda CR-V FWD (1.5 L turbo, gas) | $4.402/gal ÷ 30 mpg | $14.67 | $1,761 | EPA · AAA |
- Home charging vs the gas SUV: about $1,194 a year less at 12,000 miles. Home charging stays cheaper until electricity reaches about 53.35¢/kWh, 3.1× the state average.
- Home charging vs the hybrid: home charging is about $662 a year cheaper. The break-even against the hybrid is 37.22¢/kWh.
- Public fast charging vs gas: relying on DC fast charging costs more than the gas SUV at these prices ($14.85 vs $14.67 per 100 miles).
Checked on the Model Y: 27.50 kWh/100 mi × $0.1717/kWh = 4.7218, which rounds to $4.72 per 100 miles. The gas SUV is 100 ÷ 30 mpg × $4.402 = 14.6720, or $14.67. The break-even electricity price is $14.67 ÷ 27.50 kWh = 53.35¢ per kWh.
Utility EV and time-of-use prices in Colorado
Prices quoted from each utility’s tariff or rate page. Fixed charges, riders and taxes are extra unless the line says otherwise.
- Xcel Energy Colorado, Residential Time-of-Use: On-peak is 5 to 9 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays. Summer energy is 21.277¢/kWh on-peak and 7.884¢ off-peak. Colorado PUC, Time-of-use rates, checked Nov 2026.
For the 27.50 kWh a Model Y uses per 100 miles: about $2.17 at Xcel Energy Colorado’s summer off-peak base price (7.884¢). That is before fixed charges and riders; the state average works out to $4.72.
AFDC’s utility records (program types, no prices) list 3 utilities in Colorado with an EV rate or managed charging:
- Black Hills Energy (EV rate) · site
- Mountain View Electric Association (EV rate) · site
- Xcel Energy (EV rate) · site
Have an off-peak price? Put it in the calculator.
EV rebates and tax credits in Colorado
- Colorado Innovative Motor Vehicle tax credit (Open, Colorado Energy Office): $750 for a new light-duty EV with an MSRP up to $80,000, plus $2,500 more if the MSRP is $35,000 or less. Colorado Energy Office, EV tax credits, checked Nov 2026.
- Vehicle Exchange Colorado (Open, Colorado Energy Office): Income-qualified Coloradans who retire an older car can get $9,000 toward a new EV or $6,000 toward a used one. Colorado Energy Office, Vehicle Exchange Colorado, checked Nov 2026.
- Black Hills Energy residential charger rebate (Open): Up to $500 toward installing a residential Level 2 charger, capped at the installation cost (2026 form). Black Hills Energy, 2026 Colorado EV residential rebate form, checked Nov 2026.
Federal credits are gone: 30D and 25E for vehicles acquired after Sept. 30, 2025, and 30C for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026 (IRS: new, used, charger).
Public charging in Colorado
The AFDC counted 7,940 public charging ports at 2,923 locations in Colorado on October 28, 2026: 6,178 Level 2 and 1,707 DC fast, plus 55 Level 1. AFDC also counts about 162,800 battery-electric vehicles registered in Colorado through 2025 (2.9% of light-duty registrations). That is about 20.5 EVs per public port, against 21.7 nationally, the 19th-most EVs per port among the 50 states and the District.
Paren’s Q3 2026 report has no Colorado figure, so fast-charging math here uses its U.S. average of $0.540 per kWh.
Stations that bill energy delivered to the car charge less than the EPA wall figure. As a rough estimate (wall energy × 0.894, a Level 2 efficiency from Sears et al., 2014), the Model Y comes to about $13.28 per 100 miles at $0.540/kWh.
Cost to charge five common EVs in Colorado
| Vehicle | EPA kWh/100 mi | EPA range | Home / 100 mi | Home full charge | Public DC / 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD | 27.50 | 327 mi | $4.72 | $15.44 | $14.85 |
| 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard RWD | 24.30 | 321 mi | $4.17 | $13.39 | $13.12 |
| 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD | 31.08 | 319 mi | $5.34 | $17.02 | $16.78 |
| 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD | 30.00 | 318 mi | $5.15 | $16.38 | $16.20 |
| 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E RWD | 31.44 | 260 mi | $5.40 | $14.04 | $16.98 |
Where Colorado sits
Colorado is in the Mountain census division.
States next to Colorado on price
Also in Mountain
All 50 states and D.C., ranked
Open the calculator at 17.17¢/kWh
Related: what a Level 2 charger costs to install in Colorado, home charger rebates in Colorado, the extra EV registration fee in Colorado, whether your panel can take a Level 2 circuit, home charger comparison, and all free EV tools.
Pricing a Level 2 charger? See the charger guide and the ChargePoint Home Flex review.
Check Home Flex on AmazonFAQ: charging an EV in Colorado
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in Colorado?
About $4.72 per 100 miles in a 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD at 17.17¢/kWh (EIA, August 2026), and $15.44 for its full 327-mile range. On Xcel Energy Colorado’s summer off-peak base price of 7.884¢ it falls to about $2.17 per 100 miles before fixed charges.
Is charging an EV cheaper than buying gas in Colorado?
Yes, at home: $4.72 per 100 miles for the Model Y versus $14.67 for a 30-mpg gas SUV and $10.24 for a 43-mpg hybrid, with regular at $4.402 (AAA, October 28, 2026). The SUV only wins above 53.35¢/kWh.
Is public DC fast charging more expensive than gas in Colorado?
Yes. $14.85 per 100 miles at $0.540/kWh (Paren, U.S. average) is more than the gas SUV’s $14.67 and $10.13 more than home charging.
Do Colorado utilities offer EV charging rates?
Xcel Energy Colorado, Residential Time-of-Use: On-peak is 5 to 9 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays. Summer energy is 21.277¢/kWh on-peak and 7.884¢ off-peak.
What EV rebates or tax credits are available in Colorado?
Colorado Innovative Motor Vehicle tax credit: $750 for a new light-duty EV with an MSRP up to $80,000, plus $2,500 more if the MSRP is $35,000 or less. Vehicle Exchange Colorado: Income-qualified Coloradans who retire an older car can get $9,000 toward a new EV or $6,000 toward a used one. Black Hills Energy residential charger rebate: Up to $500 toward installing a residential Level 2 charger, capped at the installation cost (2026 form).
How many public EV chargers are there in Colorado?
The AFDC station count for October 28, 2026 shows 2,923 public charging locations in Colorado with 7,940 ports: 6,178 Level 2 and 1,707 DC fast, plus 55 Level 1. AFDC counts about 162,800 battery-electric vehicles registered there through 2025, or about 20.5 EVs per public port.
More sources
Electricity, gas, vehicle and fast-charging sources are linked in the tables above.
- AFDC station counts (October 28, 2026), registrations (2025), and utility records (2026-10-28).
- NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance, statewide mean temperature: Colorado January 26.3°F, July 68.6°F (1991–2020 averages).
- AAA, cold weather and EV range (Feb. 7, 2019).
- EIA state generation data, 2024: natural gas 30.5%, wind 29.9%, coal 28%, solar 8.4%.