Mountain West EV Chargers Jump 40% in Two Years

Driving an electric vehicle across the sprawling Mountain West just got a lot easier.

The region added 40% more public EV charging stations over the past two years, according to a new Environmental Defense Fund report. That's a major leap forward for an area where long distances and rural roads once made going electric feel like a risky gamble.

Much of the new infrastructure focuses on major travel corridors and smaller communities. That means drivers can now take longer trips without the anxiety of running out of juice in the middle of nowhere.

Colorado and Arizona are setting the pace nationally with strong electric vehicle policies. Nevada, New Mexico and Utah are also scoring high on expanding access, while Idaho, Wyoming and Montana are still catching up.

Kevin Moran, a researcher with the Environmental Defense Fund, says the infrastructure push reflects what communities actually need. States are recognizing both the environmental benefits and the practical value of making clean transportation work for everyone.

The timing matters because transportation is the biggest source of climate pollution across many Western states. But the benefits go beyond carbon emissions.

Every major city in the Mountain West wrestles with air quality issues. Research shows that widespread electric vehicle adoption can directly improve the air people breathe and boost public health in communities that need it most.

The Ripple Effect

The infrastructure boom is creating a positive cycle across the region. More charging stations mean more people feel confident making the switch to electric, which in turn justifies building even more stations.

The expansion also brings cleaner air to communities that have struggled with pollution for decades. Better air quality means fewer asthma attacks, fewer missed school days, and healthier lives for children growing up in Mountain West cities.

As federal EV incentives wind down, state leadership is becoming more critical than ever. The states making progress now are the ones investing in policies and infrastructure that keep momentum building.

The Mountain West's wide-open spaces once seemed like the biggest barrier to electric vehicles, but they're quickly becoming proof that clean transportation can work anywhere.