COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Adams County has now added a charge for drivers at public electric vehicle stations to charge their cars.

Since 2014, the county has allowed free electric vehicle charging at seven locations to encourage drivers to switch from gas-powered vehicles. A spokesperson for the county said the fee was added August 3 after seeing the cars surge in popularity.

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Charging to charge: Adams County is adding a fee to public EV chargers

Those charging up at county stations are looking at $0.15 kWh fee plus an additional $0.25 per minute charge for cars who stay at the station for over an hour after powering up.

Many popular 2026 electric cars take 50-110 kWh to fill their batteries. That means a $7.50 to $17.50 charge not including added fees, including a charge just for plugging in and a $0.25 per minute idle fee for drivers that stay at the station for over an hour after powering up.

Adams County leaders said the public chargers serve about 350 unique cars for over 2,000 charging sessions. The fee is supposed to cut down on wait times and help fund new transportation infrastructure through the county general fund.

Colorado created the first state Electric Vehicle plan in 2018 with the goal of increasing EV sales in the state. The plan laid out an ambitious goal of putting 940,000 electric vehicles on Colorado roads by 2030.

In 2025, state leader boasted Colorado’s success in EV sales, claiming to be number one in the country for sale in the third quarter of 2025, making up 32.5% of new car sales in the state.

In the past few years, Colorado has seen several changes in EV incentives.

Find Adams County charging stations here:

• Justice Center: 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601
• District Attorney’s Office: 1000 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601
• Government Center: 4430 South Adams County Pkwy., Brighton, CO 80601
• Human Services Center: 11860 N Pecos St., Westminster, CO 80234
• Riverdale Animal Shelter: 12155 Park Blvd., Brighton, CO 80601
• Detention Facility: 150 N. 19th Ave., Brighton, CO 80601
• Coroner’s Office: 330 N. 19th Ave., Brighton, CO 80601

While those stations are no longer free, surrounding areas still offer free charging stations.

Denver has five free stations across the city:

• Harvard Gulch Recreation Center: 550 E Iliff Ave.
• Montbello Recreation Center: 15555 E 53rd Ave.
• Central Park Recreation Center: 9651 M.L.K. Jr Blvd.
• Environmental Learning for Kids: 10275 E 53rd Ave.
• The Lowry Tennis Courts: 755 Fairmount St.

The city of Aurora has 20 free chargers at two locations:

• Central Rec Center: 18150 E. Vassar Pl.
• Southeast Rec Center: 25400 E. Alexander Dr.

Adams County isn’t the only municipality making a change, though. In 2025, Boulder added fees to several of its previously-free chargers.

Tuesday, Broomfield Council is considering changes to its fee structure, possibly adding a $0.15 kWh or $0.25 kWh fee to their 12 public chargers.