Electrify Expo showcases Denver as hot EV market

More than a dozen electric vehicle makers are arriving in Denver this weekend as the city emerges as one of the nation's hottest EV markets.

The Electrify Expo picked Denver as one of its eight stops in 2024 — based on vehicle registration numbers and sales data from manufacturers. Other stops include Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle.

• "Denver has been one of those places that's been really kind of bubbling up over the past couple years and showing a pretty big spike in EV registrations and hand-raisers," Electrify Expo founder BJ Birtwell tells us.

Why it matters: The event is designed to boost EV adoption at a time when sales are slowing in Colorado and nationwide .

By the numbers: 130,460 EVs are registered in Colorado, according to the latest state figures , a fraction — 14% — of the state's goal of 940,000 by 2030.

Driving the news: The two-day festival that starts Saturday will give motorists the opportunity to demo EVs and ride electric-powered motorcycles, bikes, skateboards and scooters.

• The list of manufacturers includes Rivian, Tesla, Ford, BMW and Toyota, and organizers expect to offer an estimated 25,000 demo experiences.
• In addition, the event will host expert talks to answer charging network questions and ease range anxiety.

What they're saying: "The best way to drive EV adoption is to give people these experiences, because once they have these experiences, they have the light bulb moment about how electric vehicles could fit into their life," Birtwell says.

• "We're definitely leaving each market by spiking EV sales everywhere we go," he adds.

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