CHAPTER 3

Overview of Survey Results

This chapter presents an overview of the results of the survey sent to hub airports in the United States. An online survey (see Appendix A, Survey Questionnaire options and Interview Framework) was developed based on the literature review of EV charging facilities at airport parking facilities. The survey was then distributed to 123 hub airports. In total, 36 airports responded to the survey, either through the online platform or via email. Highlights of the responses are presented in this chapter and detailed documentation on the survey and results is provided in Appendix B, Documentation of Survey Results and Analysis.

Charging Stations and Associated Infrastructure

A review of the websites of all the hub airports in the United States along with the survey results found 93 of the hub airports (approximately 64% of all the hub airports) reported EV charging available in at least one of their passenger parking facilities. In terms of hub size, 46% of small-hub airports, 74% of medium-hub airports, and 100% of large-hub airports reported or advertised charging stations in their passenger parking facilities. (Note: airports may provide access to EV charging but not advertise this on their websites.)

Twenty-two survey respondents indicated that they had installed EV charging equipment. Airports are installing EV charging as an amenity, to meet customer expectations or expected demand, and to comply with local ordinances. Out of the 14 respondents without EV charging equipment, 8 indicated that they have plans to install charging equipment in the future. Of the airports without plans to install charging equipment, some indicated that they were exploring options outside of their parking facilities while others were intending to make their new parking facilities EV-ready but not EV-installed.

Key barriers to installing charging equipment were cost and infrastructure requirements. Other barriers included demand forecasting and management challenges, funding for maintenance, and the lack of onsite utility capacity to support charging.

Different Charging Needs at Parking Facilities

Installing charging equipment at airports has occurred for various reasons; however, most airports indicated that offering charging as an amenity was important. Other factors included anticipated demand and responding to customer requests for charging.

The location of charging stations varied across airports with some airports focusing on charging availability in one key facility (e.g., their central garage) and other airports installing a couple of chargers in each of their parking facilities. To maximize the use of the asset, a few airports have chosen to provide charging in their valet parking. This arrangement allows the airport to charge more

vehicles with less equipment and reduce wear and tear by individual customers. Within the facility, charging equipment location typically depends on visibility and accessibility, access to electrical infrastructure, proximity to the terminal, and designated EV parking areas or zones. Some respondents opted for medium-desirability locations to balance accessibility and power source proximity.

Twenty-six respondents provided information on their different levels of charger. Twenty-two of the 26 respondents had installed Level 2 chargers with the remaining four respondents only having Level 1 installed. Nine respondents had a mix of charging levels in the parking facilities. Factors affecting the number of installed charging stations included

• EV adoption in the region;
• Available electrical capacity;
• Availability of funding, grants, and incentives;
• Results of a pilot/trial of EV charging equipment in the parking facilities; and
• Results of a parking study.

Management of Charging Infrastructure

Fourteen survey respondents do not monitor the use of their charging equipment at this stage, and ten (out of thirteen) respondents have networked chargers. This may be partially because of how charging equipment data are used—only seven respondents use their data to determine the demand for additional charging stations. The costs associated with monitoring usage and with networked chargers may limit the practice at the airports surveyed.

The airports that do monitor the use of their charging equipment collect that data for various reasons:

• Tax reporting,
• Environmental metric tracking,
• Power consumption,
• Dwell time on chargers,
• Uptime and maintenance needs, and
• Reporting for environmental or accreditation programs.

Although most respondents have not developed metrics related to the charging equipment, they noted plans to do so in the future as well as ongoing studies that could be used to develop such metrics.

Utility Coordination and Load Management

The survey asked respondents about electrical capacity assessment, utility coordination, and load management concerns or strategies. Eighteen respondents had conducted an electrical capacity assessment before installing charging at their airports with some having plans for future assessments to ensure available capacity. Respondents who did not conduct an assessment indicated that they did not consider it necessary for their airport or were planning to conduct an electrical capacity assessment only with a significant expansion of EV charging equipment.

Sixteen respondents coordinated with local utility companies for EV charging station installations. Coordination varied from virtual meetings discussing needs to utility companies subsidizing installation costs and handling revenue collection. Some airports engaged in discussions about future expansions and available utility resources, while others coordinated for capacity expansions and infrastructure support such as solar and net metering. A key theme in the responses was coordination to ensure available capacity now and in the future. A few respondents noted that coordination was initiated as part of a study or capacity assessment.

Although only 2 respondents currently use load management strategies, 16 respondents plan to implement such strategies to mitigate the effect of additional load from EV charging stations. Respondents were in different stages in terms of their load management needs; next steps included research, vendor discussions, load bank studies, and implementing systems to reduce charging during peak demand or load-shedding events. Some airports reported no issues but plan to coordinate with utility companies for future installations of Level 3/DCFC chargers.

Funding and Revenue

Funding to support EV charging installations was primarily derived from airport revenue, state grants, and capital improvement budgets. One respondent used public-private partnerships in the form of a long-term lease. In this case, the private partner covers the operations and maintenance costs. In addition, one respondent stated that a third party handles the operation and maintenance of the EV charging station.

Funding for operations and maintenance was derived from parking revenue or general airport funds or is part of the operations and maintenance budget for either the airport or the parking facility. Budgeted funds may come from various sources, so respondents could not indicate a specific revenue source.

Twenty airports responding to the survey do not assess an additional fee for using the charging equipment provided in their parking facilities. The five respondents that assess a fee used a range of methods (e.g., a flat fee, fees assessed by the private provider, and fees structured to recover operating costs, including tax requirements). Certain states have adopted a per-kWh fee for public EV charging stations, which airports are required to comply with when installing their stations (Russell 2023, Jaros and Hoffer 2023). Eight of the respondents plan to assess a fee for cost recovery in the future. These fees would support operations and maintenance as the number of charging assets increases.

Safety Considerations

Most airports (17 respondents out of 24) do not have specific safety requirements or procedures for EVs and EV charging equipment. However, airports ensure safety by following current code requirements, standards for installation, and building inspection protocols. Examples of these protocols and standards include not installing chargers under cover (i.e., the first floor of a parking garage) or within 6 feet of gas-powered vehicles.

Only a few airports (four respondents) provide specific safety training related to EVs and charging equipment for their staffs. Training methods vary, including designated safety and preventive maintenance classes, external contractor training, and collaboration with fire departments for EV fire response training.

Although some airports have coordinated with their fire departments (nine respondents), specific standards or procedures have not been fully developed. Discussions with fire departments during planning phases involve recommendations on charger location, access, and proximity to fire suppressants. Some airports are evaluating the feasibility of installing DCFCs alongside existing fuel dispensers, with on-site fire departments having standards of practices for handling EV-related fires.

The airports’ responses indicate that, although discussions are ongoing, specific standards or procedures related to coordination with fire departments have not been fully developed. Some airports know the concerns associated with EV fires but have not implemented concrete measures.

Collaboration with in-house fire departments, recommendations regarding fire extinguishers near chargers, and ongoing discussions with local fire departments were common themes among the airports’ responses.

Overview of Results by Hub Size

Airport size determines the level of funding received and can result in differing practices and needs in terms of EV charging infrastructure. The breakdown of respondents by hub size is as follows:

• 21 small-hub airports,
• 8 medium-hub airports, and
• 7 large-hub airports.

One key difference between hub sizes was the availability of EV charging in passenger parking facilities. All the large-hub airports responding to the survey provide EV charging and seven medium-hub airports also provide EV charging in their passenger parking facilities. One medium-hub and thirteen small-hub airports do not currently have EV charging infrastructure available for passengers.

Other key findings based on hub size include the following:

• In terms of level of charger, Level 2 chargers were the most common across airports of any size. Only respondents from large-hub airports indicated the presence of Level 3 chargers. Level 1 charging was reported at airports of all sizes—often to support long-term parking facilities.
• Data monitoring occurs at airports of all sizes, but large-hub airports were more likely to monitor usage and use that data to understand demand for charging in the future.
• Eighteen respondents indicated that an electrical capacity assessment had been conducted before installing EV charging stations, and six respondents reported that they did not conduct an electrical capacity assessment. In terms of hub size, respondents from seven (out of ten) small-hub airports, all six respondents from the medium-hub airports, and respondents from five (out of eight) large-hub airports have conducted an electrical capacity assessment.
• Most airports responding to the survey did not have specific safety requirements related to charging infrastructure. By hub size, only one out of ten small-hub airports had specific safety requirements in place compared with two out of six medium-hub airports and four out of eight large-hub airports.