Chicago prepares for EVs

Chicago electric vehicle rollout targets hybrid owners, pro-EV policy, and supportive utilities, with $2M charging stations planned citywide; Illinois' strong auto market and consortium partners push adoption and infrastructure readiness.

Chicago officials say they're gearing up to be ready for electric cars as automakers prepare to determine which U.S. cities will get the vehicles first.

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, supportive utilities and robust charging networks across the region, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Chicago wants to prove it's plug-worthy for electric cars across the city, city officials say.

Last month, Chicago sought proposals to install $2 million worth of EV 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, even as New York's first EV charging station comes online to build awareness.

"We need to get the right policies for EV deployment 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.

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