The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), as well as local elected officials, celebrated MassCEC’s recent grant to Massport in support of planning and facilitating the transition to more electric vehicles (EVs) at Logan Airport. Getting more passengers in an electric vehicle is an important step as Massport moves toward becoming Net Zero by 2031. Participating organizations included representatives from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the rental car companies at Logan including Avis, Enterprise and Hertz, as well as Uber and Lyft. Several rental car company-owned EVs were available for demonstration including Tesla, Kona and Polestar models.
This grant comes from MassCEC’s Accelerating Clean Transportation for All (ACT4All) Program. ACT4All aims to equitably increase access to clean transportation across the Commonwealth, reduce emissions in overburdened areas, and build effective community partnerships. ACT4All awarded $5M to ten projects operating statewide. The Department of Energy Resources has contributed to program funding.
“Offering EVs through rentals and rideshares will catalyze the adoption of EVs and help us achieve our clean transportation and emissions reduction goals,” said MassCEC CEO Jen Daloisio. “The growing deployment of EVs at Logan Airport and accompanying infrastructure will both help to educate consumers and begin to reduce emissions in surrounding communities. MassCEC is proud to support this innovative program.”
In 2019, there were more than 1.3 million rental car transactions at Logan and 2022 is trending to near 1 million transactions. Today, passengers at Logan can rent more than 200 EVs from the Rental Car Center, or choose an EV option from Uber or Lyft. By renting an EV, passengers can see for themselves how easy these are to use and reduce fear about charging the vehicle.
The demand at Logan Airport for more EV charging both landside and airside continues to increase. Massport has more than 40 chargers landside available for the public, in our parking garages and Ride App and taxi pools. These chargers are funded through Massport’s capital budget as well as grant funding.
For those driving their own EV to Logan, there are 173 hybrid, electric, and alternative fuel only parking spaces available and charging ports are located conveniently near the terminals with no cost for electricity use. Massport is also working to transition its own fleet to EVs, and recently ordered 2 electric Ford F-150 trucks and 2 electric Ford Transit vans for use at Logan Airport.
“Shifting to electric vehicles is a crucial step toward improving air quality for East Boston and other airport adjacent communities and reducing the carbon footprint overall,” said State Senator Lydia Edwards. “I applaud Massport and the MassCEC for their efforts toward expanding sustainable ride options at Logan.”
At today’s event, the speakers acknowledged the airport’s proximity to surrounding communities and how their ongoing efforts would reduce emissions for all. Hertz’ SVP of Operations Initiatives Jeff Nieman said his company already had 1,000 EVs in the Boston region, and Michael Chisolm, Lyft’s business development manager of airports, reiterated his company’s commitment to use EVs exclusively by 2030.
“Increasing the adoption of electric vehicles at Logan is another big step toward improving quality of life in neighboring communities,” said State Representative Adrian Madaro. “Thank you to MassCEC and Massport for their collaboration in transitioning our city toward environmentally-friendly transportation.”
In 2013, the Rental Car Center, a LEED Gold certified building with rooftop solar, was completed and consolidated multiple rental car company operations into one location. This move allowed Massport to cut hundreds of shuttle bus trips daily, reduce emissions and roadway congestion, and create a better experience for passengers renting vehicles.
“Through partnerships with our rental car and Ride App companies, we are able to offer more environmentally friendly, on-demand transportation options for our passengers. The MassCEC grant will help us prioritize our ongoing efforts to expand electric vehicle availability at Logan Airport,” said Massport CEO Lisa Wieland. “Reducing the emissions created at Logan is not only good for the environment, it helps us to be a good neighbor to surrounding communities, while providing our passengers with the sustainable transportation options they desire.”
In March 2022, Massport unveiled a new, bold agenda to reduce carbon emissions across all properties and become Net Zero by 2031, coinciding with the Authority’s 75th anniversary and nearly two decades ahead of the 2050 deadline set by the United Nations’ Paris Agreement to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Roadmap to Net Zero focuses on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Massport-owned facilities, equipment, and energy purchases, and lays out actions and strategies to help our airlines, shipping lines, cruise operators, and other business partners reduce their emissions. To reach this ambitious goal of achieving Net Zero for Massport-controlled emissions, the Authority is evaluating a number of options. These include improving energy efficiency in buildings and investing in electric vehicles while increasing demand for HOV transportation.