March/April 2024 - 32

TECHNOLOGY
AUTHOR Bob Andrews
What Airports Need to Know
Before Creating an EV Plan
Part 1: Creating an EV Plan
Understand the key technology considerations
when building an EV plan
THE ELECTRIC vehicle age is here. According
to the Department of Energy, EV sales hit
a record 1.4 million vehicles in 2023, an
increase of 50% over 2022. And the upsurge
in EV ownership is already leading to a corresponding
increase in the demand for charging stations
at airports.
That demand will only continue to
grow, keeping pace with the ongoing
transition from gas-powered to electric
vehicles.
Offering EV charging is a customer
service imperative for airports because
EV drivers will want to be able to charge
their vehicles while they are traveling.
Airports that don't provide sufficient
charging capacity will be at a competitive
disadvantage relative to satellite lots
that do. Parking is an important source
of revenue for airports-second only to
gate fees-and airports can't afford to
lose business to competing lots because
they don't provide sufficient charging.
EV charging can also be a new source
of revenues for airports. Coupled with
parking fees, EV charging fees could
generate a great deal of money, making
airport parking facilities even more
profitable.
Of course, sustainability is also an
important factor. Airports have a role
to play in reducing carbon emissions, and
many airports are already committed to
being greener. By providing EV charging
stations, airports can encourage the
use of electric vehicles and demonstrate
a commitment to sustainable practices.
Regulatory compliance is another
term parking because they are heading
out and returning on the same day, or
perhaps just parking overnight. Some
drivers may even be visiting the airport
for just an hour or so to pick up a friend
or loved one. As a result, it may make
sense to install charging stations in
both short-term and long-term parking
facilities to accommodate all travelers. In
fact, it may make sense to offer charging
stations in cell phone lots, as well, to
allow people to recharge their vehicles
while they wait for the travelers they are
picking up to arrive.
reason for adding EV charging. Some
regions already have regulations that
require certain facilities, including
airports, to offer EV charging options.
Being proactive in installing these stations
can put airports ahead of regulatory
compliance, avoiding future rushes or
penalties.
Creating an EV Plan
The process of creating an EV program
begins with answering essential planning
questions. Where should you put your
chargers, and how much capacity do you
need now? How can you create scalable
solutions that will grow as demand grows
at your airport? What types of chargers
will best meet travelers' needs? Where
will your electricity come from? How
can you incentivize EV charging? How
will you promote your EV charging
services? What use cases will you need
to support?
Where should you put
your chargers?
Airports often serve a greater variety
of use cases than other EV charging
locations. While travelers will often
be parked at the airport for days at a
time, some will only require short32
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How important is scalability?
Scalability is essential. You don't need
to offer charging at every single parking
space at this point, but it will be important
to be able to build in additional
capacity as demand grows. For most
airports, the best approach will be to
start with a few chargers and work with
consulting parking engineers to create
plans for expanding infrastructure in
the future. It's essential for airports to
work closely with their EV partners
and consulting parking engineers from
the very beginning because adding
conduits, piping, chargers, and other
EV infrastructure can be extremely
complicated. You want to have all the
necessary planning in place for when
growth becomes necessary.
Choosing the
Right Chargers
What types of chargers
should you install?
There are three basic types of chargers.
Level 1 chargers are the slowest and use
a standard 120V AC outlet. They take
40 or 50 hours to fully charge a vehicle
from empty and provide 2 to 5 miles of
electric range per hour charging. These
are probably not the right fit for an
airport since they take so long to charge
a vehicle.
Level 2 chargers use a 240V electrical
service and can fully charge a vehicle
in 4 to 10 hours. These may be the best
option for overnight, long-term parking
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March/April 2024

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