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Name: Rithik Duvva
School name: Duke University
The Role of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in Airport Parking: Challenges and Solutions.
Airports are more than transit hubs; they function like compact cities with intertwined energy, mobility, and customer-service needs. As electric vehicle (EV) adoption accelerates, airport parking has become a proving ground for charging infrastructure. The use cases on one campus are diverse: long-term travelers who leave cars for days, short-stay pickups and drop-offs, rideshare and taxi staging areas, rental-car depots, employee lots, and shuttle fleets. When charging is designed well, parking shifts from a passive amenity to a managed energy asset that supports travelers, professional drivers, and the surrounding grid.
Airports matter because they combine high vehicle throughput with predictable dwell times. A traveler may leave a car for three days, which makes Level 2 charging in long-term garages a natural fit. Rideshare drivers and taxis need quick top-ups between trips, which points to DC fast charging near holding lots and cell-phone waiting areas. Rental-car centers are electrifying quickly and require dependable back-of-house charging to turn vehicles between reservations. Because these needs converge on the same property, airport operators can shape behavior through placement, pricing, and software, steering each user to the right power level and window.
Real-world examples show momentum and variety. San Francisco International and Los Angeles International have expanded Level 2 charging across economy lots and garages and feed availability into their parking apps so travelers can plan before entering a structure. London Heathrow works with third-party networks to place chargers in short-stay car parks and around taxi areas, which reduces range anxiety for vehicles that log many miles per day. In harsher climates, Denver and Seattle–Tacoma have grown Level 2 availability while showing that rugged hardware and maintenance protocols matter in snow, ice, and road-salt conditions. Some airports are strengthening the energy backbone that makes reliable charging possible. Pittsburgh International runs a campus microgrid that keeps critical facilities operating during grid disturbances. Cochin International in India pairs operations with extensive solar generation that helps offset incremental EV load. Rental fleets have also catalyzed demand. Companies such as Hertz have stationed thousands of EVs at airport locations including LAX and Orlando, which requires reliable depot charging and quick-turn workflows.
These advances also highlight persistent challenges. Bringing sufficient electrical capacity to legacy garages is expensive, and unmanaged fast charging can trigger steep demand charges that undermine the business case. Utilization suffers when Level 2 ports are blocked by fully charged cars for days. Without clear rules, a few drivers can tie up scarce plugs and frustrate others. Interoperability and payments remain confusing for infrequent or international users. If a charger demands a specific app or card, many travelers will give up. Wayfinding and accessibility add friction, since sprawling garages and weak signage cause circling and missed connections, and accessible EV bays must be sited and marked so drivers who need them can count on access. Finally, uptime requires real operational discipline, with proactive maintenance, rapid repairs, and spare parts on hand.
Airports that solve these problems right-size charging by zone. Level 2 belongs in long-term and employee garages where dwell times run for hours or days. DC fast charging fits short-stay, taxi, rideshare, and waiting-area use cases. Some airports add EV valet programs that move vehicles after charging, which turns one port into multiple completed sessions per day without asking travelers to return mid-trip. Smart load management staggers Level 2 charging overnight and during off-peak windows to flatten peaks. Battery storage buffers the spikes created by fast charging. Solar canopies on garage rooftops provide shade and generate midday power that aligns with airport demand. Where utilities offer demand-response programs, airports can briefly reduce charging load to earn credits and lower operating costs. Microgrids add resilience for shuttle fleets and critical facilities during outages.
Clear policies and simple pricing reinforce the technology. Many operators are moving to a per-kWh energy price paired with an idle fee after a vehicle reaches full charge or a time cap in high-demand areas. Publishing real-time availability in airport and parking apps, and on floor-by-floor signage, reduces circling. Interoperability matters just as much. Choosing networks that support roaming through open protocols and enabling tap-to-pay with standard credit cards helps international visitors and infrequent users. Some airports bundle EV charging with pre-booked parking so travelers know a charger will be available when they arrive and can plan accordingly.
Accessibility, wayfinding, and safety round out the playbook. Setting aside a proportion of EV bays as accessible, with correct aisle widths, curb gradients, and clear markings, ensures equitable access. Fire-safety planning for enclosed garages, training for first responders, and backup power strategies protect people and assets. Treating chargers like critical airport equipment, with service-level agreements, uptime dashboards, and key performance indicators such as sessions per port, kilowatt-hours per occupied hour, and customer satisfaction, builds trust over time.
In short, the role of EV infrastructure in airport parking is to match a complex mix of dwell times and duty cycles with the right hardware, power strategy, and user experience. The airports moving fastest, including SFO, LAX, Heathrow, Denver, and Cochin, show that when charging is reliable, easy to find, interoperable, and fairly priced, it becomes a competitive advantage. Travelers return to charged cars, professional drivers stay productive, fleets turn over quickly, and the grid benefits from smarter and more flexible load. Airports sit at the crossroads of energy and mobility, and by getting EV charging right, they can make both systems work better.
Name: Marry Lim
School name: Rutgers Business School
The Role of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in Airport Parking: Challenges and Solutions.
As someone who flies out of Newark Airport more often than I’d like to admit, I’ve learned two things: parking is chaotic, and finding an EV charger is almost impossible. Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common, and while that’s great for the planet, it’s created a new question for airports like Newark—how can they actually provide convenient, reliable, and efficient charging for travelers who might be leaving their cars parked for days at a time?
Every trip starts the same way: circling endlessly through P4 or P5, hoping one of the few EV charging spots isn’t already taken by a non-EV car—or worse, an EV that finished charging hours ago. It’s frustrating, but it highlights why airports need to rethink their parking and charging infrastructure. Airports face unique challenges: limited space, high energy demand, and travelers with vastly different charging needs. A well-designed system could reduce stress, support sustainability goals, and even generate new revenue—if implemented smartly. The biggest hurdle, unsurprisingly, is space. Newark’s parking lots are often at full capacity, especially during holidays, so adding chargers without creating congestion is tough. Each charger takes up valuable real estate, and without careful organization, they can make things worse during peak travel seasons. Then there’s power demand—airports already consume enormous energy, and adding dozens (or hundreds) of high-speed chargers can push the grid to its limits.
Cost adds another layer of complexity. Outfitting an airport with 100 chargers could cost several million dollars upfront, not to mention annual operating expenses in the hundreds of thousands for electricity, maintenance, and software. On top of that, travelers’ needs vary—some want a quick top-up before heading to Manhattan, while others leave their cars for a week. Balancing slow and fast chargers becomes a logistical puzzle. And as someone who’s watched fellow travelers stand helplessly at a charger trying to download an app or scan a QR code that doesn’t work, the learning curve isn’t trivial either.
So, what’s a practical way forward—something that could actually work at Newark today, not ten years from now? A combination of semi-autonomous charging pods, lane-based layouts, and AI-driven scheduling could make a real difference.
Imagine a semi-autonomous charging pod, like a high-tech car wash. You drive into a bay, sensors guide you into position, and the charger automatically connects. No fumbling with cables or apps—it just works. You head straight to the terminal knowing your car will be charged and ready when you return.
Next, lane-based organization would simplify the chaos we see now. Fast chargers could be near the short-term parking entrances—perfect for quick business trips—while Level 2 chargers could sit deeper in long-term lots for extended travelers. Digital signage and the Newark Airport app could direct drivers to available lanes, minimizing that frustrating “charger hunt.” Finally, smart scheduling powered by modest AI could analyze flight data, reservations, and historical demand. The system could also plan charging sessions around return times, ensuring cars aren’t left plugged in for days unnecessarily. You’d simply tell the app, “I’ll be back Friday at 6 p.m.,” and it would time your charging session accordingly.
This approach also makes financial sense. With thoughtful pricing—flat rates for long-term Level 2 charging and per-minute billing for fast chargers— let's say an airport could generate $45,000–$70,000 in monthly revenue. After accounting for $20,000–$30,000 in overhead, airports could reach break-even within four to six years. Given Newark’s constant traffic, it could happen even sooner.
Beyond profit, this system would make the traveler experience far smoother. No more dead batteries after a red-eye or fighting for a charger at midnight. Semi-autonomous pods cut down on user error, organized lanes make better use of space, and AI scheduling keeps energy loads balanced. Over time, the system would also produce valuable data—helping airports plan expansions and integrate renewable energy sources.
Ultimately, as a frequent Newark traveler who’s spent too many early mornings circling for parking, I can see how an investment like this would pay off in convenience, efficiency, and goodwill. By blending realistic, near-term technology—semi-autonomous pods, organized layouts, smart scheduling, and fair pricing—airports could finally make EV parking not just sustainable, but pleasant.