Green Vehicles

Electric Vehicle Charging

The installations of the EV charging stations supports the City of Chicago's goal to reduce Chicago's greenhouse gas emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, as outlined in the .

Locations - Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Thirty-two public, Level II electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are available at O'Hare. The Level II EV chargers (240-Volt) are capable of fully charging an EV in approximately three to eight hours.

  • Six stations are located on the first level (hourly parking) of the O'Hare Main Parking Garage.
  • Twenty-four charging stations are located on the fourth level of the O’Hare Multi-Modal Facility (Economy Lot F) in Rows G, H, I, and J.
  • Two stations are located the Chicago Travel Plaza (Mobil Station) located at Higgins Road and Patton Drive

Fourteen public, Tesla supercharger stations are available at the Chicago Travel Plaza (Mobil Station) located at Higgins Road and Patton Drive. The superchargers are only available to Tesla vehicles and are capable of fully charging an EV in less than an hour.

Locations - Chicago Midway International Airport

Five public, Level II EV charging stations are available at Midway. The existing Level II EV chargers are 240-Volt, 32-Amp stations, capable of fully charging an EV in approximately three to eight hours.

  • One station is located in the Cell Phone Lot, located at 61st St and Cicero Avenue just south of the Midway Terminal Building.
  • Two stations are located on the first level of the Midway Economy Garage (5050 West 55th Street).
  • Four stations are located on the first level (hourly parking) of the Midway Terminal Garage (5701 South Cicero Avenue) at Column 1C.

Payment

Payment is accepted via major credit and debit cards.

The Benefits of EV Charging Stations

The benefits of installing EV charging stations at O'Hare and Midway International Airports:

  • Support the development of EV charging capacity in the Chicago area
  • Lessen driver range anxiety by increasing the useful range of EVs
  • Meet the anticipated increase in demand for EVs as the number and variety of EVs increases
  • Improve energy security by displacing imported petroleum with domestically generated electricity, reducing dependency on foreign oil
  • Lower fuel costs and reduce uncertainty over varying fuel prices
  • Increase the use of EVs that:
    • Produce no tailpipe emissions (also no emissions from electrical production if a renewable energy source is utilized)
    • Support the use of vehicles that require less maintenance than internal combustion engine vehicles; e.g., no oil changes, no emissions testing, and smaller engine part inventories
    • Have efficient electric motors that convert about 75 percent of the chemical energy from the batteries to power the wheels (internal combustion engines only convert about 20 percent of the energy stored in gasoline)

Green Fleet Vehicles

To reduce vehicle emissions, the CDA operates alternatively-fueled and hybrid fleet vehicles at O'Hare. The fleet includes:

  • Over 60 hybrid SUVs, buses and pickups
  • Over 260 flex-fuel sedans, pickup trucks, police vehicles and SUVs powered by E85 ethanol (a blend of fuel containing 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline)
  • O'Hare operates 55 diesel-powered vehicles with the latest engine technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. In compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's mandate, these vehicles use diesel particulate filters and selective catalytic reduction applications to significantly reduce engine emission levels.

The CDA operates alternatively-fueled and hybrid fleet vehicles at Midway also.

  • Approximately 40 percent of the Midway vehicle fleet consists of gasoline hybrid or ethanol (E85) fuel-powered vehicles.
  • An on-airport ethanol fuel tank provides E85 (a blend of fuel containing 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline) to more than a dozen of the CDA's flex-fuel sedans, pickup trucks, police vehicles and SUVs.
  • The fleet also includes more than 25 hybrid sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks.

Designated Hybrid Vehicle Parking - O'Hare

The CDA provides preferred parking for hybrid vehicles at O'Hare. In most lots premier parking spaces are available for Hybrid Vehicles. Look for available spots with Hybrid Vehicle Only signs. There are over 60 designated spaces, including 32 in the O’Hare Main Parking Garage as well as in surface parking lots.

Designated Hybrid Vehicle Parking - Midway

In addition to electric vehicle charging stations, the CDA provides preferred parking for hybrid vehicles at Midway. This practice encourages employees and the public to operate low-emission hybrid vehicles around the airport instead of conventionally-fueled vehicles.

Spaces are located near the elevator lobbies in the parking garages and by the shuttle bus stops in the surface parking lots. For more information, please call (773) 838-0756.