Colorado-Born. Nationally Powered. NCC Named ColoradoBiz's 2026 Top Company in Energy.

Written By Margaret-Ann Leavitt

Written by Margaret-Ann Leavitt, CMO at National Car Charging

Fifteen years ago, a scrappy Denver startup bet the farm on electric cars. Back then, most Americans thought "EV" was a typo, and "range anxiety" sounded like something you'd see a therapist about.

Well, guess what? ColoradoBiz magazine just named National Car Charging (NCC) its 2026 Top Company in Energy!

This is a big one. The award is part of one of Colorado's most respected business recognition programs, which celebrates companies for financial performance, outstanding achievement, and community involvement.

Are we excited? Let's just say we're fully charged.

From Basement Startup to Coast-to-Coast Powerhouse.

Every great origin story starts somewhere. Ours started in Jim Burness' Denver basement in 2011.

Back then, public chargers were rarer than a parking spot at Red Rocks on concert night. EVs were a mere curiosity. And telling people the future meant plugging in instead of filling up got us a lot of polite nods and a few blank stares.

We kept at it anyway.

Fast-forward to 2026. That basement operation now serves 1,300+ customers and supports 14,000+ charging ports across 48 states. (North Dakota and West Virginia, we see you. We're working on it!)

"This award is especially meaningful because Colorado is where NCC started," shared Jim Burness, NCC's Founder and CEO. "We believed early that electric transportation was going to change the way people move, and we wanted to help build the infrastructure behind that shift. Fifteen years later, we're incredibly proud of what our team has built and we're nowhere near done."

Colorado Doesn't Just Talk About EVs. It Drives Them.

Getting this award from our home state feels extra special, because Colorado is crushing it on electric vehicles:

  • 24.3% of new vehicles sold in Colorado in 2025 were EVs, up from just 3.5% in 2019. That's nearly one in four, in just six years! (Colorado Energy Office)

  • In Q3 2025, Colorado ranked #1 among 21 tracked state markets for EV adoption. Battery-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles made up 32.4% of new vehicle sales. That's nearly one in three new cars rolling off the lot with a plug! (Colorado Department of Transportation)

Turns out a state full of hikers, skiers, and fourteener-baggers really wants to keep those views crystal clear. Who knew?

Buying a Charger Is Easy. Getting It Right? That's Our Superpower.

Remember when finding any charger felt like spotting a unicorn? Those days are gone. Charging is a lot more complicated now.

The charger itself is the easy part. The real puzzle is everything around it: software, electrical capacity, energy strategy, procurement rules, installation, and long-term support. That's where most people's eyes glaze over, and it's exactly where ours light up.

NCC doesn't play favorites. We're brand-agnostic and consultative, which is a fancy way of saying we work with you to figure out what actually works best for you. Then we build it. And we've got a seriously deep bench to pick from:

Every product on that list has been put through the wringer before it earned a spot. We vet the very best so you don't have to, and you get the right tools for your site, your budget, and your goals. No guesswork, and no square pegs jammed into round charging holes.

"After 15 years in EV charging, we've seen just about every project, challenge, and curveball imaginable—and a few that really stretched our imaginations," Jim reflected. "No two projects are alike, and if there's one thing we've learned, it's that 'simple installation' is often a contradiction in terms. Fortunately, solving complicated problems is what we do best. We've gotten pretty good at turning headaches into smart, reliable charging solutions and keeping our sense of humor along the way."

About 60% of NCC's business serves the public sector. That world comes with tight budgets, complicated procurement, and more stakeholders than a city council meeting. Nobody gets through it on a slick sales pitch. It takes experience, flexibility, and real accountability, from fleet electrification and DC fast charging to cooperative purchasing, preventive maintenance, and ongoing service.

Let's Be Honest: A Charger That Doesn't Charge Is a Very Expensive Lawn Ornament.

Last year, Cox Automotive reported that Americans bought nearly 1.3 million new battery-electric vehicles in 2024. It was not only a record breaking year, it was an increase of 7.3% over the prior year. That's also a lot of cars looking for a place to plug in.

The EV charging conversation is changing. It's no longer just about getting chargers in the ground. It's about making sure they deliver long after the ribbon-cutting.

Fleets need vehicles ready to roll at 6 a.m. Drivers need confidence that chargers will work when they pull up. And organizations investing in electrification need infrastructure that performs reliably, day after day, year after year.

Because a charger that doesn't charge is basically a very expensive parking accessory.

That's where NCC's end-to-end approach makes a difference. From choosing the right technology and getting it installed to preventive maintenance, repairs, and ongoing support, we're focused on protecting our customers' investments and keeping their charging programs running.

Our goal isn't simply more chargers. It's smarter investments, better performance, and reliable charging that turns electrons into miles—and miles into cleaner air.

Somebody Call a Carpenter. We Need a Bigger Trophy Shelf.

2026 is officially our year.

The ColoradoBiz honor comes right on the heels of NCC being named a 2026 Colorado Companies to Watch winner, recognizing our growth, innovation, and contributions to Colorado's economy.

Two major Colorado business awards in one year? Don't mind us. We're just over here doing a little victory dance.

And the good news didn't stop at the state line.

Earlier this year, ChargePoint recognized NCC as its #2 top-performing value-added reseller for 2025, while Kempower named us its 2025 Top-Performing North American Sales Partner.

Four major honors? Not too shabby for a business that got its start in a basement.

But as much as we love the recognition (and we really do!), what gets us fired up is the why behind it all.

NCC was founded on a simple belief: electric transportation could reduce emissions, clean up our air, and build healthier communities. And helping create the infrastructure to make that happen? An opportunity to build a great business while doing some genuine good in the world.

That pursuit hasn't changed a bit. Federal policies shift, incentives come and go, and the EV market keeps throwing new challenges our way. But our commitment to making electric transportation easier, more reliable, and more accessible? That's one thing that's not going anywhere.

What's Next? Buckle Up.

The road ahead is wide open. Fleets are reinventing how they operate. Charging tech keeps getting smarter. And expectations for uptime and customer experience keep climbing. Organizations need a partner who's been there, done that, and knows how to solve a good charging puzzle.

(Spoiler: that's us.)

But in all seriousness, this recognition belongs to the people who power everything we do:

  • Our team, the brilliant, persistent, endlessly creative humans who got us here.

  • Our customers, who trust us with projects big and small.

  • Our partners, who are just as obsessed with getting it right as we are.

Colorado started the story. The rest of the country is helping write the next chapter.

And trust us, we're just getting charged up. ⚡



About Jim Burness.

Jim Burness is the Founder and CEO of National Car Charging (NCC) and its sister company, Aloha Charge. An EV charging pioneer and nationally recognized industry expert, Jim founded NCC in Denver in 2011 with the belief that business success and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. With decades of experience in automotive technology, renewable energy, and electric transportation, he has helped grow NCC into one of the nation's leading independent EV charging infrastructure providers. A graduate of Colorado College and the University of Denver, Jim previously held positions at J.D. Power, American Honda, and Microsoft's CarPoint.

About National Car Charging.

Founded in Denver in 2011, National Car Charging (NCC) is an award-winning, national EV charging infrastructure provider supporting more than 1,300 customers and 14,000 charging ports across 48 states. With a brand-agnostic approach and expertise spanning planning, procurement, installation, software, and long-term maintenance, NCC makes electrification easier with more choice, fewer handoffs, and one accountable partner. Recognized as ColoradoBiz's 2026 Top Company in Energy and a 2026 Colorado Companies to Watch winner, NCC is helping build a cleaner, more reliable electric transportation future.

Margaret-Ann Leavitt
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The Battery in Your Driveway: When Your EV Powers More Than Your Commute.