Earlier talks on the issue ended without a deal.
Major automakers struck a deal with the State of Colorado Monday to adopt California’s zero-emission vehicle requirements. According to a Reuters report, two major automotive trade groups stated that Colorado agreed to “support Coloradans’ need to buy electric vehicles while allowing auto manufacturers to transition into Colorado’s ZEV program.” These groups represent almost all U.S. car and truck sales including brands from General Motors, Volkswagen Group, Toyota Motor Corp and Hyundai, among others.
The agreement will see Colorado join California’s emissions program starting in the 2023 model year. The state Department of Transportation’s Executive Director Shoshana Law said, “This agreement will ensure that Coloradans have access to the range of clean car choices that are increasingly available to consumers in other states.” The last attempt to reach a deal in June fell through, as talks between the state and automakers fell through.
After becoming Colorado’s new governor in January, Jared Polis signed an executive order to adopt California’s zero-emission rules. Colorado joins nine other states in doing so: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Pending approval
While the State of Colorado and the groups representing several major automakers reached a deal, it is not set in stone just yet. The new agreement must be approved by Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission. They are set to meet in the coming weeks.
For their part, the automakers said Colorado had committed to back efforts to boost electric cars in the state. The state will support “the increased adoption and sale of ZEVs, including the state’s commitment to increase the number of ZEVs in its fleet of vehicles”, according to the Reuters report.
Editor’s Note: As this is going on in our own back yard, we’ll keep watching the situation and its development closely. California forecast about 8 percent of its new vehicle sales in 2025 will be zero-emission vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Colorado has one of the most robust electric car markets in the Mountain West region of the U.S., so it will be interesting to see what effect this agreement has on EV sales moving forward.
Speaking of EVs, take a look at TFL’s latest purchase below:
