Portland airport can charge 20 rental EVs at once – from overhead

Portland International Airport in Oregon has installed a new overhead charging system that lets rental car companies fast-charge up to 20 electric vehicles at once. ChargePoint mounted 10 dual-port fast chargers, each rated at 200 kW, above the cars at the airport's rental car service area, with retractable cables that come down when needed. Putting the equipment overhead keeps cords and chargers out of the way in a busy space where cars are cleaned and serviced between rentals.

The setup solves a problem specific to airport rental fleets: they need to charge a lot of cars quickly, but floor-mounted chargers eat up space and can get damaged by vehicles moving through. By hanging the chargers from the ceiling, the airport saved on installation costs (less conduit and wiring) and freed up room for staff to work. Rental companies with a presence at the airport include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty, and Zipcar, though it's not clear yet which ones will use the new chargers.

This isn't something that affects home charging equipment or rebates directly, but it points to how fast-charging technology is evolving for places with tight space and heavy vehicle traffic. If the system works well, it could become a model other airports copy for their own rental fleets.