electric cars

A city program in Cincinnati that lets owners of electric cars park for free has just received its 100th member.  City spokesman Rocky Merz says despite falling gas prices, the program has "picked up steam."

Cenntro Motors, a Nevada-based company that develops all-electric commercial vehicles, has donated two electric trucks to the University of Dayton.

The two vehicles, unveiled Friday morning, will be plugged into service later this month to deliver mail and to be part of the university's parking services fleet.

Cincinnati and its private partners on Tuesday announced the latest places to charge your electric vehicle: Cincinnati Zoo, University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Cincinnati State and Findlay Market.

On the same day, Newport on the Levee announced it has three charging stations on the P1 level of its parking garage. Just last month AAA added one on Orphanage Road in Fort Wright. Another AAA charging station on Red Bank Road in Fairfax opened in 2013.

AAA is opening another electric car charging station in the Tristate.  The new one is on Orphanage Road in Fort Wright.  Spokesperson Cheryl Parker says AAA members and non-members alike can charge up their vehicles, free of charge.

“We want to provide a service to a growing motor vehicle population,” she says.

There may not be a lot of electric cars on the road now but Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld believes there will be soon and he wants the city to be ready. He's behind a resolution directing the city manager to look at creating more charging stations.

Tuesday, City Council's Education and Entrepreneurship Committee discussed a resolution directing the administration to report on the feasibility of having stations on city property, and creating incentives for privately owned stations. Eight of the nine council members signed on to the resolution.