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$3.9M Approved For Bay Area Electric Car Chargers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Air quality regulators on Wednesday approved another $3.9 million to expand the number of in-home and roadside electric vehicle charging stations in the Bay Area.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District said money will be distributed in the form of a rebate to residents who buy a new electric vehicle. Some 2,750 new in-home charging stations will be funded.

The money was collected from California vehicle license fees and set aside to fund clean air vehicle programs. The money will also add 30 roadside stations to the more than 400 approved by the district last year.

Thirty-six of these roadside stations will be "fast charging" stations, where drivers can get a quicker charge.

"The electric vehicle's time has come and its effectiveness as a means of improving air quality depends on a robust charging infrastructure," Jack Broadbent, the district's executive officer, said in a news release.

The in-home stations are expected to be ready for installation over the next two or three months, as more people buy the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. The additional roadside stations should be finished by year's end.

District officials say the network of accessible charging sites will allow electric vehicle owners to easily recharge as they go about their daily errands and commutes.

The company receiving most of the funding, ECOtality, will lead the other companies helping install the charging stations throughout the area.

Jonathan Read, the company's CEO, said the San Francisco Bay area is moving quickly to create the infrastructure needed to support a large fleet of electric cars.

(© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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