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Colorado clean vehicles

Overview

Transportation is the second-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado. Vehicle emissions are also responsible for high concentrations of ground-level ozone pollution in Colorado, which negatively impacts human and environmental health. Colorado has adopted clean vehicle standards for both cars and trucks to accelerate the transition towards low and zero emission vehicles. The standards will improve air quality, promote community health, and provide economic benefits statewide.

Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) and Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV)

Colorado established the LEV and ZEV standards. LEV standards focus on reducing pollutants from internal combustion engines, while the ZEV standards focus on increasing the adoption of zero emission vehicles. Examples of zero emission vehicles include battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel-cell electric vehicles.

LEV standards require that all new light-and medium-duty vehicles (less than 14,000 pounds GVWR)  made available for sale in Colorado for model years 2022 through 2025 and model years 2027 through 2032 do not exceed the standards for pollutants such as non-methane organic gas plus nitrogen oxides, and greenhouse gas emissions as set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The ZEV standards require automakers to sell an increasing percentage of light-duty zero emission vehicles (less than 8,500 pounds GVWR) each year for model year 2023 through 2025 and model years 2027 through 2032.

The Air Pollution Control Division expanded upon the initial set of rules by adopting the Colorado Clean Cars Standard in 2023. This standard set the LEV and ZEV requirements for model year 2027 and beyond. This includes directing vehicle manufacturers to deliver for sale at least  82% of its fleet as electric vehicles by 2032. It also requires new conventional cars and passenger trucks to produce less air pollution.

Colorado Clean Trucks

The Colorado Clean Trucks standards focus on reducing emissions for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. These standards establish criteria for reducing Nitrogen Oxide emissions (NOx), improving vehicle testing, extending engine warranties, and requiring manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks from model year 2027 and beyond.

In preparation for the implementation of Colorado Clean Trucks, the Clean Fleet Enterprise was established by Senate Bill 21-260. The Clean Fleet Enterprise helps incentivize and support the adoption of electric motor vehicles by fleet owners through the establishment of the Clean Fleet Vehicle and Technologies Grant program (CFVT).

Electric vehicle.

Figure 1. Mobile document shredding electric vehicle funded by the Clean Fleet Vehicle and Technology program.

Colorado Clean Diesel and Colorado Electric School Bus Program

The division also supports the Colorado Clean Diesel Program as a sub-grant program of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). The Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program ran from 2023 through 2024. Interested entities are encouraged to apply to the Clean Fleet Vehicle and Technology Grant program. 

 

Electric semi truck.

Figure 2. Electric semi truck funded by the Clean Fleet Vehicle and Technology.

On June 19, 2018, Governor John Hickenlooper signed Executive Order B 2018 006, Maintaining Progress on Clean Vehicles. The executive order directed the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission to adopt California’s Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) program. Under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. §7507), states are able to adopt California’s alternate vehicle standards as approved in a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This waiver helps Colorado and other Section 177 states work towards meeting their clean air goals regardless of federal emissions standards.

On November 16, 2018, the commission adopted Regulation 20, The Colorado Low Emission Automobile Regulation (CLEAR). Regulation 20 requires that all new light- and medium-duty vehicles (up to 14,000 pounds GVWR) and Aftermarket Catalytic Converters sold in Colorado after model year 2022 must meet the CARB Low Emission Vehicle Standards.

In January 2019, Governor Jared Polis signed Executive Order B 2019 002, Supporting a Transition to Zero Emission Vehicles. The executive order directed the commission to adopt California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program and to revise its Beneficiary Mitigation Plan to allocate funds to the electrification of buses, trucks, and other vehicles.

On August 19, 2019, the commission voted 8-1 to adopt a revision to add the ZEV program into Regulation 20, presented jointly by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO). This revision requires a gradually increasing percentage of new vehicle sales to be zero emission vehicles starting in model year 2023.

In June of 2021, Section 11 of Colorado Senate Bill 21-260 (Sustainability of the Transportation System) created a Clean Fleet Enterprise within the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for the business purpose of incentivizing and supporting the use of electric motor vehicles and other clean fleet technologies by owners and operators of motor vehicle fleets. This included the Clean Fleet Vehicle and Technology grant program and the Transportation Network Company grant program.

On April 21, 2023, the commission adopted a revision to Regulation 20 that incorporated new regulations for heavy-duty vehicles (HD Low NOx), Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT), and Large Entity Reporting (LER).

In October 2023, the commission adopted the Colorado Clean Cars standard as a part of Regulation 20. This standard builds on the original ZEV program to increase the percentage of new zero emission vehicle sales from model year 2027 through model year 2032.