What Airports Need to Know Before Creating 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 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.
For all of these reasons, this is the time for airport parking directors to figure out how to add EV charging to their parking areas, how much to add, and most importantly, which technology to implement. Now is the time for airports to start creating an EV plan.
Let the EV experts at Zevtron help you create an EV plan that will meet your airport’s EV charging needs for decades to come.
What Airports Need to Know Before Creating 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 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.
For all of these reasons, this is the time for airport parking directors to figure out how to add EV charging to their parking areas, how much to add, and most importantly, which technology to implement. Now is the time for airports to start creating an EV plan.
Let the EV experts at Zevtron help you create an EV plan that will meet your airport’s EV charging needs for decades to come.
Scan – Pay – GoNo app, No registration
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 facilities, or employee lots, where cars are parked for longer periods of time. They may also be appropriate for cell phone lots to allow drivers to top off their batteries while they wait for their friends or loved ones.
DC fast chargers are the fastest and most expensive chargers. They can charge a vehicle in 20 minutes to an hour, depending on how much of a charge the vehicle already has. However, most plug-in hybrids don’t work with DC fast chargers, so you probably don’t want to provide them as the sole option. Because DC fast chargers work so quickly, they should be carefully managed to avoid congestion.
As a rule, Level 2 chargers can meet the needs of most airports. However, DC fast chargers could be a good option for areas where a quick charge turnaround is called for, or to service bus or van fleets.
They can also be an attractive VIP perk for EV drivers who participate in airport loyalty programs or as a source of premium revenue. Similarly, they can be offered to ride share drivers as an enhancement to service the airport while, at the same time, generating revenue.
As important as it is to install the right chargers, it’s just as important to get them from the right source. With the rapid rate of EV adoption that we’re experiencing now, it may be tempting to find a quick solution or the cheapest option for efficiency’s sake—to “get it and forget it.” The problem with this approach is that it can tie your hands in the future as you continue to add EV technology to your facilities and the technology continues to evolve. If you do this, you may find your avenues limited. Because if you chose the quickest or cheapest option, you may not be able to access new technologies that can improve the charging experience for your parkers as they are introduced.
For instance, if you make a hasty choice you may end up with a closed system with chargers that can only be operated with software provided by the hardware provider. Why is this a problem? With a closed system, your EV chargers can only do what that provider equips its tools to do. If your customers need additional capabilities, you are out of luck. And if they lag other EV brands in developing new offerings down the road, you may be stuck with inadequate equipment and its capabilities (or lack of capabilities). Or you can replace it at great expense. Also, if your equipment has issues, you may be limited to the closed system’s service and repair network, which can lead to lengthy delays and long equipment down times. Also, repairs could be very expensive because you are stuck relying solely on their providers.
Therefore, with a closed system, you are held hostage in several ways. You’re limited by their hardware development. So, if they don’t add features in the future that other EV providers do offer, you will be stuck purchasing equipment or software that won’t meet your needs. Unless you change systems, which would be costly. Or you may have to run two systems. Also, you become a “captured customer”, with limited or no negotiating leverage when purchasing new equipment. So, you are hostage to their pricing model as well.
A final hardware consideration is adding a battery storage system. These systems store electricity during off-peak hours (when it’s cheaper) and release it during peak hours for EV charging. This helps level out the demand on the grid, or if the airport maintains its own microgrid, on that.
Let the EV experts at Zevtron help you select the right mix of EV chargers to meet your airport’s EV charging needs.
How Can You Choose the Right EV Management Software?
Your choice of EV management software is one of your most important decisions and can make or break your EV charging program.
Airports generally serve different use cases with different patron bases, including hourly parkers, permit parkers, and long-term parkers. Or maybe your garages and lots offer different pricing models with hourly parkers paying one rate for charging and VIP or loyalty parkers paying a discounted rate. Not all the major EV software providers can manage such a variety of users, and it’s essential to find a software partner that can handle multiple use cases.
In fact, when selecting an EV software partner, there are several additional capabilities to look for. First, airports should turn to Smart Charging Infrastructure that can automatically adjust the power output to each vehicle based on the total demand and available supply. This dynamic load management system can help manage peak demand times without exceeding the grid’s capacity. Even if this capability isn’t needed now, the airport is positioned properly for the future as EV adoption continues to grow.
Airports may want to participate in demand response programs with their local utility companies. During peak demand on the grid, the airport can temporarily reduce the charging load in exchange for financial incentives from the utility. When choosing an EV management software, it’s important to make sure it can manage a demand response program.
If your software can’t cater to different use cases and patron bases, you won’t be able to serve your patrons adequately. This can put you at a significant competitive disadvantage when trying to attract charging customers—particularly if the satellite lots against which you compete offer more EV options. And if you are locked into a closed system, you can’t just switch to new operation software; you need to either live with your equipment’s shortcomings or rip your chargers out and replace them.
Let the EV experts at Zevtron create a customized EV software management platform that will meet your airport’s unique EV charging needs.
Managing Your EV System
The nature of airport parking poses unique challenges when it comes to EV charging. Travelers who drive electric vehicles need to know that their cars will be charged, and they’ll be able to get home after a long trip. At the same time, you don’t want vehicles sitting for days in valuable charging spaces after they’ve been fully charged in just a matter of hours. It’s not unusual for travelers to park their personal vehicles for a week or more. But when EVs sit unused, they tend to “bleed” small amounts of power—up to 5 miles of charge per day—but can bleed more if certain features are left active. Travelers are going to expect to return to a fully charged vehicle after their trip and airport parking managers are going to have to create EV plans that can accommodate this desire.
The simplest way to handle this challenge is to combine EV charging with valet parking. With a valet-based EV program, drivers drop their electric vehicles at a valet stand and inform staff when they’ll be returning. The EV provider then schedules charging to assure that the vehicle will be fully charged when the traveler returns.
As a general rule of thumb, airports should continuously monitor vehicles to make sure they have at least a 40% charge. That way, if the traveler unexpectedly returns early, there will be a sufficient charge to leave the airport.
For travelers who return as expected, they merely return to the valet station to have their fully charged vehicles delivered to them. In addition to allowing airports to manage their EV resources more effectively by making sure that chargers aren’t tied up unnecessarily by fully charged vehicles, this strategy also provides an additional customer service perk that travelers will appreciate.
Finally, EV charging will soon be available with reservations capabilities. Most airports already offer pre-booking when it comes to parking, and it won’t be long before these same platforms add EV charging to their reservation options. When drivers pre-book their space they’ll be given the option of adding EV charging. Pre-booking platforms already collect data about when the traveler is arriving at the airport and whey they’ll return, and this information will make it much easier to manage EV charging sessions as well.
Urgency Vs. Opportunity
It’s understandable that airports may feel a sense of urgency when it comes to choosing and installing EV charging equipment. But do your homework because not all charging equipment, and not all charging software standards, are created equal.
Identify your short and long-term goals for your plan and find the hardware and software that will provide the reliability and flexibility you and your patrons need, and which can grow and adapt as your needs grow and adapt. If you do, you’ll have an EV charging solution that will meet your needs for years to come.
Let the EV experts at Zevtron help you create an EV program that will meet your airport’s EV charging needs for decades to come.
For more information, contact Bob Andrews at bandrews@zevtron.com or Chris McKenty at CMckenty@zevtron.com.