EV Charge Charging a Tesla Model Y at home in Colorado costs about $47 per 1,000 miles at the state’s 17.17¢ average, or $0.047 a mile. A 30-mpg gas car would burn roughly $139 of fuel over the same miles.
Updated October 25, 2026 · Electricity: EIA August 2026 · Gas: EIA week of October 12, 2026 · How we calculate
What Colorado drivers pay to charge at home
| Vehicle (EPA efficiency) | Per 1,000 miles | Per year (12,000 mi) |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD (27.5 kWh/100 mi) | $47 | $567 |
| Chevrolet Equinox EV AWD (32.6 kWh/100 mi) | $56 | $672 |
| Ford F-150 Lightning 4WD ER1 (47.9 kWh/100 mi) | $82 | $987 |
| Gas car, 30 mpg | $139 | $1,670 |
What’s going on with electricity prices in Colorado
Colorado electricity averaged 17.17¢ per kWh in August 2026, #22 of 51, and it rose 5.9% over the past year. Gas in Colorado ran about $4.17 a gallon the week of October 12, 2026.
The bigger story for EV owners is how Coloradans pay. Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility, has moved most of its residential customers onto time-of-use pricing, so the hour you plug in already changes what you pay. Overnight is the cheap part of the day; late afternoon and early evening are the expensive part.
Colorado vs. its neighbors
| State | Price per kWh | Per 1,000 miles (Model Y) | vs. Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $47 | — |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $37 | -22% |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $37 | -21% |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $40 | -16% |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $41 | -14% |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $43 | -10% |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $45 | -4% |
All six of Colorado’s neighbors pay less per kWh. Utah is the cheapest at 13.31¢; New Mexico, at 16.51¢, is the most expensive of them.
How to pay less to charge in Colorado
If you’re on Xcel Energy, check which time-of-use schedule you’re on and when its on-peak window starts, then set your car to charge after it ends. Xcel also runs programs for EV owners in Colorado. Customers of Colorado Springs Utilities or one of the state’s rural electric cooperatives pay different rates, so look at your own provider.
Xcel Energy publishes its Colorado time-of-use hours and EV programs online. Put your off-peak price into the EV charging cost calculator, and read how time-of-use rates work if your bill already shows on-peak and off-peak lines.