City of Tampa Offers Free Hook-Ups for Electric Car Drivers

Tampa has installed 10 electric vehicle charging stations at public parking lots around the city.

While Miami and Oldsmar offer similar hook-ups, Tampa officials say their city has deployed the largest number of free charging stations in Florida.

As part of Coulomb Technologies' expansion of its $37 million ChargePoint America program into six new U.S. cities, Tampa received the charging stations at no cost. In exchange, the city will participate in a Department of Energy grant monitoring program through December 2013.

The ChargePoint America program is made possible by a $15 million grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the Department of Energy.

Initially, the city will not assess a fee for using the chargers, though motorists are required to pay to park at the lots where they are located:

• Jackson Street Lot (City Hall).
• Fort Brooke Parking Garage (2).
• Tampa Convention Center Garage.
• William F. Poe Garage (2).
• Twiggs Street Garage.
• South Regional Garage.
• Centro Ybor Garage.
• Palm Avenue Garage.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn will unveil the Parking Division initiative at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Jackson Street surface lot, 420 E. Jackson St.