Business owner at doorstep of Rocky Mountain National Park bets nest egg on electric vehicles

October 28, 2021

National Park Village installs charging stations as state moves toward goal of having more EVs on the road

Longtime Estes Park businessman Jim Sloan knows firsthand about the “range anxiety” of electric-car drivers after a trip to New Mexico in February when the screen in his Tesla Y was flashing “0 miles” and the outside temperature was below zero.

He was “was nervously nursing my way” to a fast-charging station south of Trinidad.

The owner of the National Park Village shopping area near the east entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park has installed a fast-charging station for electric vehicles at his business and made space for a second unit. He has also installed two slower-charging stations since buying the site with his daughter in December 2020.

“When we acquired the property, we wanted to increase its sustainability, both for us as investors and for my tenants,” said Sloan, who is also installing 100 kilowatts of solar energy. “My thrust is to accommodate the traveling public visiting the national park and help to overcome their range anxiety.”