Larimer County plans Blue Spruce charging site and new EV cost analysis for departments

Larimer County is moving ahead with a new electric-vehicle charging station at its Blue Spruce Campus and expects a new fleet analysis to help departments decide where switching to EVs could save money. During a work-session update Monday on the county’s Internal Climate Action, Resilience and Education plan, staff said the county has already met an earlier charging-station goal and is now working toward a new target of installing five more charging stations on county property or through community partnerships by 2030.

Abby Stapleton of the Commissioners’ Office said the Blue Spruce project is already underway and could be finished by the end of the year. She said it is being funded with grants and leftover money from prior charging-station projects. Stapleton told commissioners the county wants to keep expanding public-facing charging options as electric vehicles become more common, including at county sites and possibly partner locations.

On the county fleet, Stapleton said 9% of Larimer County’s light-duty vehicles are now alternative-fuel or hybrid, up from a 4% baseline in 2021. She said the fleet includes six fully electric vehicles and 26 traditional hybrids, with two more EVs planned for 2026. Three electric vehicles were added last year, she said, with two going to Natural Resources and one to Engineering.

Stapleton said the county is also working with the National Laboratory of the Rockies on a department-by-department fleet analysis using county data on mileage, vehicle types and operating patterns. The study is expected to produce presentations for departments in the next month or so, comparing current vehicles with electric alternatives over a seven-year lifespan, including upfront costs, maintenance and electricity costs based on county charging rates. Stapleton said the early results do not favor EVs for every vehicle, but "most of them, it looks better to get an electric vehicle."

Fleet Services Director Heidi Vilhauer said maintenance costs on the county’s current EVs have been very low and user feedback has been positive. Because the vehicles mainly need inspections and tire rotations, she said, they move through the shop faster than conventional vehicles and have not had maintenance problems so far. More complex issues would still be handled under manufacturer warranties, she said.

Commissioner John Kefalas asked whether the county’s 26 hybrids include plug-in models, and Stapleton said they are all traditional hybrids. She said the current state bid offers only one plug-in hybrid option, but staff hopes the 2027 state bid will provide more choices.