Chicago prepares for EVs

Hoping for widespread electric vehicle adoption, manufacturers said they look at three factors in picking cities for rollouts: large numbers of hybrid owners - a sign electric cars will be embraced - friendly public policy and supportive utilities, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Chicago wants to prove it's plug-worthy, city officials say.

Last month, Chicago sought proposals to install $2 million worth of charging stations to be deployed throughout the city using federal and state funding.

"Since Henry Ford introduced the first mass-produced motor vehicle, it's been, 'Where can I find a gas station?' And those were pretty prevalent," Suzanne Malec-McKenna, commissioner of the city's Department of Environment, said. "This is completely different."

The Chicago metro area is the third-largest U.S. auto market, and Illinois ranks in the top 10 states for hybrid vehicle registrations, according to the Environmental Law & Policy Center, one of the entities participating in the city's Electric Vehicle Consortium.

"We need to get the right policies in place, moving forward, soon. And when I say soon, I mean get them in place over the next six months to a year," center Executive Director Howard Learner said.