In response to the growing electric vehicle market, Federal stimulus grant funds are available to local business owners to install public customer charging stations. The Puget Sound area is one of a handful of regions that can take advantage of this opportunity. Businesses have until September 2011 to pursue the available grant funds to help the Puget Sound area plug-in to a new era of transportation innovation and reduce the fossil fuel costs and emissions. The benefits to becoming a charging station host include free charging stations; up to $2,500 for installation (through EV Project only); free maintenance coverage through December 2012; ownership of charging station transfers to site host at the end of the project; and recoup electricity costs, or even generate revenue by passing on charging fees to your EV customers. Requirements of charging station hosts include allow rapid installation of the charger; allow the general public to use the charger; provide adequate public signage; keep the charger in good operating order; cannot sell or move the charger once it is installed; and allow anonymous data to be provided for analysis. If interested, business owners need to call for a free estimate. To schedule your free assessment and estimate, or for more information, contact: Jim Blaisdell with Chargepoint America Project, ChargeNorthwest at (253) 265-0919 or Dan O’Shea with the EV Project, Ecotality at (206) 920-1477.

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For related Tacoma Daily Index coverage, read the following:

Electric vehicles will join City Hall’s fleet (02/02/11) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1918586&more=0

City Council to vote on $2.6M electric fleet vehicle contract (01/21/11) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1912338&more=0

A ‘green highway’ through Tacoma? (12/04/10) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1710390&more=0

I-5 ‘electric highway’ receives federal funding boost (06/29/10) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1797199&more=0