Colorado may follow CA in banning gas lawn equipment in 2025

Published

2 years ago

April 27, 2023

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Colorado is considering a regulation that would ban noisy, polluting gas-powered lawnmowers and leafblowers in the state as of 2025. It’s similar to a California rule which goes into place in 2024, but Colorado’s goes even further and would ban government and commercial use, along with sales.

Gas-powered lawnmowers and leafblowers are surprisingly big polluters because most run on two-stroke engines. Two-stroke engines are smaller and cheaper than four-stroke engines but are also tremendously more polluting because they exhaust tiny particles of unburned fuel into the air.

A commonly cited statistic states that running a two-stroke engine for an hour emits as many harmful air quality pollutants as much as driving a passenger car 1,100 miles. Cars still emit more global warming pollutants, but for air quality, two-stroke lawn equipment is much worse.

For this reason, many air quality agencies see these “small off-road engines” as low-hanging fruit for regulation. Colorado already offers vouchers for the exchange of dirty lawn equipment, giving monetary incentives to residents and businesses to upgrade to cleaner, easier-to-maintain electric lawn equipment. Even though this comes at a cost to the government, there’s so much air quality benefit that it’s a good use of public money.

To say nothing of the noise pollution those engines cause, which is even more disruptive given the recent trend towards work-from-home for many professionals.

So Colorado’s Regional Air Quality Council is thinking about implementing a ban on the use of these dirty engines, which could go into place as early as 2025. The ban would likely go into effect statewide and affect not only sales of handheld gas-powered units but also a government and commercial use ban, though residential users would likely be exempted from the ban.

While a two-year timeline for implementation seems rather sudden, RAQC believes that by sending this signal now, commercial operators would have time to start replacing their units early. Since these units are used all day long, they often have a pretty high turnover rate. If businesses start replacing their gas-powered equipment now, they won’t suddenly have to replace everything the day the ban goes into effect.

Plus, Colorado’s Northern Front Range – the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, the region that includes Denver and areas north of it, which is the area the RAQC is in charge of – is in “severe” nonattainment of EPA pollution rules, which means they have to work fast to get into compliance before a 2026 EPA deadline.

Lawn & Garden contributes 36% as much ozone as *all vehicles combined* in Colorado’s most populous areas or 29% as much as all oil & gas operations

A ban on small lawn equipment is a lot easier to organize than large regulations on cars or on the state’s oil & gas industry (which is concentrated north of Denver), which both face organized industry opposition. Though, there is work happening on both of those separately.

RAQC is considering putting a minimum size on the commercial ban and exempting very small businesses. It would also likely not apply to larger equipment, like ride-on mowers, as these typically have a longer service life and use four-stroke engines and therefore are paradoxically less polluting than their smaller handheld cousins.

And while residents likely wouldn’t see a ban, the benefits of switching to electric lawn equipment are significant for residential use. Since we spend so much of our time in residential areas, the benefits of better air quality and lower noise pollution are even more important to attain in those areas.

So, commercial gardening services working in residential areas would be affected by the ban, but your neighbor wouldn’t have to stop using their old weed whacker two times a month – but they might want to, for their own health.

Enforcement is still an open question, but this is one reason RAQC is thinking about recommending this ban statewide rather than just in the Northern Front Range area. It’s easier to standardize the ban over a larger area than have a patchwork of local or regional rules.

The RAQC is a government-created board comprised of government leaders and local elected officials. The board recommends plans to Colorado’s Department of Health and Environment’s Air Quality Control Commission and writes the state’s implementation plans for air quality.

While the plan has not been officially proposed or voted on yet, the board seems to be in agreement that this regulation would be an easy way to reduce harmful pollutants at a low cost and is likely to recommend implementing something similar to what is being discussed. The board’s official vote should happen in the next couple of months, after which it moves on to the Colorado government to implement as a regulatory process.

If you’re in Colorado (or anywhere else that has air), check out Electrek‘s “Green Deals” section, where we periodically post green tech deals. You’ll find deals on electric lawn equipment quite often, so save yourself a few bucks while helping to save the lungs and ears of your neighborhood, too. And check with your state’s clean air regulator to see if any rebates are available – here’s Colorado’s page (and here’s California’s), but there may be incentives available if you live in another state too.

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Environment

Kia’s new EV9 and EV6 qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit — except this one trim

Published

1 hour ago

April 8, 2025

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Kia's new EV9 and EV6 qualify for the ,500 EV tax credit — except this one trim

The new and improved 2026 Kia EV9 and 2025 EV6 are eligible for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but one trim is excluded.

Do the Kia EV6 and EV9 qualify for the federal tax credit?

Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6, received some pretty major upgrades for its mid-cycle update this year.

The 2025 EV6 features a bigger battery providing more range (now up to 319 miles), a stylish interior and exterior redesign, and an NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers.

Kia’s first three-row electric SUV, the EV9, also has a native NACS charging port and will be the first model year to offer a high-performance GT trim.

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We got a good look at the EV9 GT at the LA Auto Show last year (check it out here). The sporty electric SUV boasts 501 hp, which is quite a bit more than the current GT-Line’s 379 hp. The added power is enough for the big-body SUV to move from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds.

Although Kia America’s vice president of sales, Eric Watson, confirmed the EV6 and EV9 are now in “full-scale production” at its plant in West Point, Georgia, not all trims will qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

According to CarsDirect, Kia told dealers that the 2025 EV6 and 2026 EV9 GT trims wouldn’t be eligible for the credit. A spokesperson said the exclusion is because Kia builds the EV6 GT and EV9 GT in South Korea, while all other trims are assembled in Georgia.

If Trump’s 25% tariff on South Korea is still in effect when the GT models launch in the US, it could create a significant price gap between trims.

Despite this, you will likely still be able to take advantage of the credit through leasing. Kia, like many, is passing the $7,500 on through lease cash, which can significantly cut monthly payments.

Kia will reveal more info, including prices, closer to launch. Check back soon. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.

With the new models arriving soon, Kia is offering clearance pricing on outgoing models. Monthly leases start as low as $179. You can use our links below to find deals on the Kia EV6 and EV9 near you.

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Environment

Coal is dead and Trump’s executive order won’t revive it

Published

3 hours ago

April 8, 2025

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Coal is dead and Trump's executive order won't revive it

Donald Trump is expected to sign executive orders today to resuscitate the US coal industry – here’s why this is a complete waste of time.

Once again, using “emergency authority” by citing the growing power needs from data centers, EVs, and AI, the executive orders will allow some old coal-fired power plants scheduled for retirement to stay online.

The orders will also direct federal agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining barriers, and prioritize coal leasing on US lands.

An Obama-era moratorium that paused coal leasing on federal lands will officially be acknowledged and federal agencies will be required to scrap policies moving away from US coal production. Trump also wants to boost coal exports and speed up coal technology development.

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Electrek’s Take

The coal and mineral industry is happy about this executive order, as well as the EPA recently giving them a free pass to pollute, and the MAGA crowd might think this is great, but no one else thinks this clever.

Trump can try to pretend that coal is “clean,” but it doesn’t change the fact that coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels – its emissions killed 460,000 people between 1999 and 2020. Plus, it’s not even cost-effective – even natural gas is cheaper than coal. And these plants are old – the average age of the plants that are online is 53.

Coal has been in decline for a long time – it peaked in 2007. As I just wrote last month, coal fell to a record low of 15% of total electricity generation in the US in 2024, and wind and solar accounted for 17% of total electricity generation. That’s right – wind and solar successfully provided more power generation in the US than coal last year.

And while electricity demand will indeed skyrocket over the following decades, clean energy is capable of meeting that demand. The Energy Information Administration projects that in 2025, 93% of new power added to the US grid will be from solar, wind, and battery storage.

In an emailed statement, Kit Kennedy, managing director for power at the Natural Resources Defense Council, questioned whether a mandate for Americans to commute by horse and buggy would be next. It’s a fitting sentiment because the fact that I’m even writing a story in 2025 about why trying to revive coal is a bad idea feels ludicrous. Trump seems to forget he’s not William McKinley and this isn’t 1900.

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Environment

BMW EVs are gaining more range this year as the 2026 iX hits an impressive 364 miles

Published

3 hours ago

April 8, 2025

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BMW EVs are gaining more range this year as the 2026 iX hits an impressive 364 miles

After a few “technical advances,” BMW is upgrading its EVs with more driving range, features, and options. All BMW i5 models now have more range, while the 2026 iX has an EPA-estimated driving range of up to 364 miles.

BMW iX and i5 EVs gain more range

BMW announced 2025 model year updates coming this spring with a few exciting improvements to look forward to.

The BMW i5 eDrive40 features up to 310 miles of range, up from 295 miles in the outgoing model. Meanwhile, the i5 xDrive40 has a driving range of up to 278 miles, up from 266 miles in the 2025 model year.

BMW said that the improvements are due to “a number of technical advances that reduce energy consumption, and, thus, improve their range.” The new i5 uses a more efficient, more powerful SiC inverter, which also powers the new 2026 iX.

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All BMW 5 Series models are available with a new Frozen Portimao Blue metallic paint color. Two new Merino leather interior colors have also been added: Dark Violet/Atlas Grey and Taupe/Atlas Grey.

BMW i5 model	Driving Range (increase from MY2025)
i5 eDrive40 (19-in wheels)	310 mi (+ 5%)
i5 eDrive40 (20-in wheels)	300 mi (+ 8%)
i5 eDrive40 (21-in wheels)	278 mi (+ 3%)
i5 xDrive40 (19-in wheels)	278 mi (+ 5%)
i5 xDrive40 (20-in wheels)	272 mi (+ 4%)
i5 xDrive40 (21-in wheels)	259 mi (+ 4%)

BMW i5 range by trim

Although BMW revealed the 2026 iX earlier this year, the company now says it has an even greater EPA-estimated range than it projected.

The 2026 BMW iX xDrive60 is rated with a range of 364 miles when equipped with 20″ Aero wheels on summer tires, 7% higher than the 340 miles it initially expected. It’s also a drastic improvement from the 309-mile rating for the 2025MY.

Despite the upgrades, BMW’s electric SUV gets a $12,100 price cut thanks to a new entry-level xDrive45 model, which starts at just $75,150.

	Horsepower	Starting Price*	Driving Range
2026 BMW iX xDrive45	402 hp	$75,150	312 miles
2026 BMW iX xDrive60	536 hp	$88,500	364 miles
2026 BMW iX M70	650 hp	$115,500	303 miles