The Denver City Council began its first talks on when and how to establish electric vehicle charging stations Thursday, emphasizing the importance of a quick and accessible rollout.

In Colorado, the transportation sector was the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Transportation.

To help curb emissions, the state released a plan in April 2020 with the goal of having one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. In Denver, the goal is for 15% of vehicle registrations to be electric by 2025; 30% by 2030; and 100% of light-duty vehicle registrations by 2050.

“Electric vehicles are the future,” said Councilman Chris Hinds during Thursday’s committee meeting. “Climate change is real and imminent and transitioning to electric vehicles is one important tool to mitigate climate change.”

The industry has also hopped on board, with car companies including General Motors, Volvo, Ford and Jaguar vowing to go partially or full electric within a decade.

As the city and state expect a wave of electric vehicles, Hinds said it’s important to establish the charging infrastructure ahead of time to assure a rapid transition to electric vehicles and encourage residents to use them.

Hinds is not alone in this effort. Last year, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved a $110 million plan from Xcel Energy to increase electric vehicle infrastructure throughout the state, saying lack of infrastructure is a “key barrier” to widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

However, Hinds also stressed the importance of making sure charging stations are accessible to everyone, including people with physical disabilities. He pointed to some existing charging stations in the state that can’t be reached be a person in a wheelchair, for example.

“If people with disabilities have access to the electric vehicle revolution, everyone else has access to it too,” Hinds said.

The City Council is currently working on outreach efforts across disability advocacy groups in Colorado, Texas, Illinois and Hawaii to determine the best way to make electric vehicles accessible to everyone.

Hinds has also been talking with government offices and industry professionals including Gov. Jared Polis’s office, the cities of Boulder, Fort Collins, Aurora and Estes Park, the Colorado Auto Dealers Association, ChargePoint, Tesla and Xcel Energy.

The two main strategies that have come up during the outreach process have been (1) creating accessible charging stations reserved for people with disabilities and (2) making all charging spaces accessible and available to everyone.

Arguments against the accessible charging stations include the increased costs and space for larger parking spaces and that the process may slow the implementation of charging stations and electric vehicles.

However, Hinds said it is significantly cheaper and easier to install accessible infrastructure from the beginning than to go back and change existing infrastructure.

As a next step, Hinds said the City Council is currently considering whether to create a stakeholder committee on the establishment of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the city.

“Climate change is real and it’s important that we make sure everyone participates in this revolution,” Hinds said.