It would be a stretch to label what’s happening an “explosion” of plug-in power, but the move is significant. Airports across the country from Baltimore, to Detroit, to Chicago are adding electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in their parking garages.

It’s no surprise Oakland International is part of the trend. This is northern California, epicenter of goings on that are green.

Unlike set-ups at some other airports, so far, all of Oakland International’s EV charging stations are located in the premium lot, what the airport calls Premier Parking. They’ve been set up in conjunction with ChargePoint® Network. The idea is to make the airport easier to access for flyers driving Chevy Volts, Tesla Roadsters, Nissan LEAFs and the like.

“We are now ready for the next generation of alternatively-powered vehicles,” asserts Port of Oakland Aviation Director Deborah Ale Flint. She says the eight stations can “simultaneously serve up to 15 electric vehicles.” That means you can charge up while you’re traveling, or just picking someone up from the terminal.

If there’s an issue here, it’s the positioning of the power stations. Again, they’re in the Premier Parking Lot. Rates there are $3 per 30 minutes – up to five hours. After that, it will cost you $36 for five to 24 hours to park in the Premier Lot. There’s no additional charge to charge up at the ChargePoint stations.

Oakland International touts the Premier Lot as a package deal. Use it and you get:

• Exclusive entry to entry and exit lanes. That cuts wait times.
• The ability to swipe your credit card upon entering and exiting the lot. That means there’s no parking ticket to keep tabs on.
• A newspaper, water, and outgoing fax service.
• Access to Premier Security Lanes at the terminal checkpoints. This, perhaps, is the biggest benefit. It’s a real time-saver.

Oakland International is a significant focus city for discount airline Southwest. It’s the second-busiest airport in the Bay Area. San Francisco International is first. It’s also the fourth-largest airport in the state. From its bayside runways airlines loft some 130 flights per day.

Story by Jerry Chandler

(Image: gigijin)