Annapolis, Maryland will receive a ChargePro EV Charging Station

If you own a Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt or Tesla Roadster and your car is a little low on power, the city soon will offer a place for you to charge up for free.

Two electric car-charging stations will be installed in the Knighton public parking garage off Inner West Street within the next month, said Lily Openshaw, the project manager.

The total price for parts and installation will fall somewhere between $23,000 and $34,000, but grants will offset the costs, officials said.

The Baltimore-Washington Electric Vehicle Initiative, or BEVI, is footing the bill for the equipment with state money, and the city will pay for the installation out of a $171,000 federal stimulus grant.

That same stimulus grant eventually will help pay for a tour bus charging station near Ramshead on West Street, said Frank Biba, chief of environmental programs. Officials expect to complete that project within the next year, he said.

The goal for the Knighton project is to put Annapolis ahead of the curve on new technologies while also generating a little more incentive for parking in an underused garage.

"I'm really hoping this is the future for a lot of our facilities," Openshaw said.

A contractor will install the equipment under a shelter on the first level. Motorists will be able to drive right up to the plugs.

Jill Sorensen, the executive director of BEVI, said Maryland energy officials are trying to expand the state's electric vehicle infrastructure. There already are a handful of charging stations in public places throughout Anne Arundel County.

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