ChargePoint has installed 10 dual-port fast charging dispensers at Portland International Airport, mounted overhead with retractable cable management so up to 20 rental vehicles can be connected at the same time. The system sits inside the airport’s Quick Turnaround (QTA) Facility, where rental car operators service vehicles between customers. By placing the hardware above the vehicles rather than beside them, ChargePoint says the layout reclaims ground-level space, simplifies installation and removes the risk of vehicular damage to equipment.
Highlights
- 10 dual-port fast charging dispensers in the PDX Quick Turnaround Facility, allowing up to 20 vehicles to be connected simultaneously
- Overhead mounting with retractable cable management, keeping cables and hardware out of vehicle circulation paths
- Reduced conduit and wiring, which the airport credits with lowering installation cost
- ChargePoint fleet software layered on the hardware for remote monitoring, troubleshooting and charging management
Inside the PDX Quick Turnaround Facility
The QTA facility is where rental operators clean, service and stage vehicles between rentals — a compressed window that has historically made fast charging difficult to fit into the workflow. ChargePoint reports that the overhead dispensers let operators charge during that window, which the company ties to improved fleet utilization.
Cost and durability drove the configuration as much as throughput did.
“Projects like PDX demonstrate how innovative charging infrastructure can support sustainability goals while delivering measurable business value,” said Jeremiah Hartley, Airport Rental Car Manager, Portland International Airport. “The innovative overhead charging system enabled us to save on installation costs by limiting the conduit and wiring needed and helps protect against potential damage caused by vehicles in the QTA.”
Why Mount Chargers Overhead?
Ground-mounted DC fast charging at an airport rental facility competes for the same floor area the operator needs for vehicle movement, and pedestals sitting in a circulation lane are exposed to strikes from vehicles being repositioned at speed. ChargePoint frames the overhead approach as removing the trade-off between charger count, installation cost and equipment durability rather than optimizing one at the expense of the others.
“Airports aren’t just adopting electric mobility; they’re reshaping it,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint. “As rental fleet operators add electric vehicles to their fleets, airports face the challenge of delivering reliable, high-power charging infrastructure at scale. The Port of Portland’s investment at PDX demonstrates how fast charging can integrate into existing parking lots without sacrifices for equipment placement.”
The deployment follows other ChargePoint work in the rental segment, including public charging at Midwestern Wheels rental branches in Wisconsin, where an Avis Budget Group licensee opened its airport and local-market chargers to nearby drivers.
Fleet Software and Site Management
The hardware runs on ChargePoint’s fleet software, which the company says gives operators real-time visibility and control across rental fleets, covering remote monitoring, troubleshooting and charging management that adjusts to operational demand. That software layer is the same commercial pitch behind ChargePoint’s fleet partnership with Mercedes-Benz in the UK and Germany, which bundles planning, installation and ongoing operation into a single relationship.
ChargePoint positions the combination of overhead hardware, site-efficient design and fleet software at PDX as a model other airports can replicate.
