Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport plans to add electric vehicle charging stations in its new parking decks to be constructed in coming years.

The airport plans to demolish its existing parking garages at the domestic terminal and rebuild them twice as high to increase capacity.

"At the moment, we are anticipating 18 charging stations across multiple parking structures," according to Hartsfield-Jackson spokesman Reese McCranie. "We expect demand to grow and we will adjust accordingly."

But it will be years before the first new parking garages next to the terminal are ready to use. The parking project is expected to take at least eight years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to complete. It will be done in phases to keep parking available for travelers.

Some private off-airport parking lots already offer electric vehicle charging, as other businesses and public places do around metro Atlanta.

Shopping malls such as Lenox Square are among the businesses and public places that have already installed electric vehicle charging stations so “EV” owners can juice their vehicles when away from home, part of a push to ease pollution and reduce gasoline demand.

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

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Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

But Hartsfield-Jackson's own public parking lots have not had electric vehicle charging stations, making it difficult for some electric vehicle drivers from distant locales in Gwinnett County and other areas to drive to the airport and back home.