On April 24, 2020, the Chicago City Council approved an ordinance that requires new construction of residential and commercial buildings to guarantee at least 20% of parking spaces are ready for electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment to be installed.[1] . The ordinance also requires at least one of the EV-ready spaces be disability accessible and new buildings must have charging infrastructure in place or actual charging stations installed during construction. The new rules only apply to residential buildings with five or more units and commercial buildings with 30 or more parking spaces.

Chicago is committed to reaching 100% renewable energy for all its municipal buildings by 2025 and all city buildings by 2035. In addition, the Chicago Transit Authority plans to electrify its fleet of over 1,850 buses by 2040. According to Chicago officials, the new ordinance is in response to growing EV adoption across the United States; by 2040 more than half of all new car sales will be electric. Consumer advocates like Citizens Utility Board (CUB) say the new ordinance makes Chicago a national leader in its efforts to increase adoption of EVs, and called for similar policies to be adopted more widely.[2]

[1]https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdot/provdrs/conservation_outreachgreenprograms/news/2020/april/chicago-city-council--approves-ordinance-to-increase-chicago-s-e.html

[2] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-electric-vehicle-ordinance-makes-chicago-national-leader-301047088.html