The Case for Fast-Charging Depots at US Airports

This policy brief by RMI argues that US airports are strategically positioned to host multi-megawatt fast-charging hubs to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption, particularly for high-mileage commercial ridehail and taxi drivers. Using a model based on Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), RMI suggests that these hubs can be financially viable with investment payback periods under 10 years, provided there is close coordination with local utilities to manage infrastructure costs and capacity.

• To meet a 1.5°C climate-aligned future, the US transportation sector needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 45% by 2030, which requires 70 million electric vehicles on the road and a 20% decrease in vehicle miles traveled.
• The United States will need 15 times its current number of chargers to support tens of millions of EVs. The country's 20,000+ airports can help fill this gap by providing fast-charging infrastructure for a variety of drivers.
• RMI's modeling of a fast-charging hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for taxi and ridehail drivers indicates that various business models can achieve an investment payback period of less than 10 years for both the airport and EV charging service providers (EVSPs).
• Fast-charging hubs at airports are particularly critical for ridehail drivers who often lack private at-home charging and have limited downtime. In Los Angeles, meeting the Clean Miles Standard (CMS) targets by 2030 would require 110 to 240 MW of dedicated charging capacity for ridehail drivers, with approximately 10 MW needed at LAX alone.
• Airports face several barriers to EV infrastructure development, including difficulties in evaluating campus-wide demand and hosting capacity, managing capital investment and O&M costs, coordinating siting for various use cases, and future-proofing technology.

APA

RMI (2022). The Case for Fast-Charging Depots at US Airports. https://rmi.org/resources/case-for-fast-charging-depots-at-us-airports/

Chicago

RMI. The Case for Fast-Charging Depots at US Airports. 2022. https://rmi.org/resources/case-for-fast-charging-depots-at-us-airports/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=The Case for Fast-Charging Depots at US Airports |date=17 November 2022 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/case-for-fast-charging-depots-at-us-airports/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2022case, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{The Case for Fast-Charging Depots at US Airports}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/case-for-fast-charging-depots-at-us-airports/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }