Green Vehicles

Electric Vehicle Charging

The installations of the electric vehicle (EV) charging stations supports the City of Chicago's goal to reduce Chicago's greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, as outlined in the Chicago Climate Action Plan.

Locations - Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Thirty-two public, Level II EV charging stations are available at O'Hare.

• Six charging stations are located on the first level (hourly parking) of the O'Hare Main Parking Garage) in Aisle 2 near Elevator Center 3. 

• 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 charging stations are located at the Chicago Travel Plaza at Higgins Road and Patton Drive.

Fourteen public, Level III Tesla Supercharger stations are available at the Chicago Travel Plaza at Higgins Road and Patton Drive.

The Benefits Of EV Charging Stations

​The benefits of installing EV charging stations at O'Hare include:

• Support the development of EV charging capacity in the Chicago area
• Lessen driver range anxiety by increasing the amount of publicly available charging stations
• Meet the anticipated increase in charging 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
• 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 alternative fuel vehicles and hybrid fleet vehicles at O'Hare. The fleet includes:

• Over 60 hybrid sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, and pickup trucks
• 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 reduce engine emission levels significantly.

The CDA also operates alternative fuel vehicles and hybrid fleet vehicles at Midway.

• 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.
• 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 SUVs and pickup trucks.
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