Hartsfield-Jackson International has installed 102 electric vehicle charging spaces, a $1.3 million project that Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called part of his effort to have "one of the greenest airports in the world."
The Atlanta airport plans to install another 200 electric vehicle charging spaces over the next couple of years.
“These stations reflect Hartsfield-Jackson’s great commitment to sustainability,” said Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Roosevelt Council.
Electric vehicle drivers must pay regular rates for parking, but do not have to pay extra to charge their cars.
“We see it as a service,” Council said.
Hartsfield-Jackson is behind other airports in electric vehicle charging. Some airports around the country have had electric vehicle charging stations for years.
Meanwhile, off-airport parking lots around Hartsfield-Jackson had installed dozens of electric vehicle charging stations, drawing some of that business away from the airport.
Hartsfield-Jackson's new electric vehicle charging stations include 22 spaces at the domestic terminal South parking deck, 24 spaces in the domestic terminal North parking deck, 16 spaces in the international terminal hourly parking garage, 30 spaces in the international terminal park-ride deck, and other spaces in airport employee lots.
The spaces have either level 1 or level 2 chargers.
There are more than 25,000 electric vehicles registered in Georgia, according to Don Francis, executive director of Clean Cities Georgia, part of a U.S. Department of Energy initiative. That's more than any other state except California, due to past tax incentives for electric vehicles in Georgia.Once there are chargers everywhere, "there's no reason everyone shouldn't have electric vehicles," he said. "The movement toward electric vehicles — I don't think you could stop it if you wanted to."
Francis said while the message under the Obama administration was on climate change, the incoming Trump administration will focus on cutting dependence on foreign oil.
With electric vehicles, “this is domestically produced fuel, right here in Georgia,” Francis said.
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