Cincinnati committee outlines grants, contracts and timeline to expand EV charging and electrify city fleet

The Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Committee heard an update Thursday on electric-vehicle adoption and charging infrastructure across Cincinnati, including notification of two grants, a signed contract with a curbside-charging vendor and a Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) study recommending how the city should prioritize fleet electrification and charging sites.

Director Ollie Kroner from the administration told the committee the city was notified of a successful Federal Highway Administration Charging and Fueling Infrastructure award for $850,000 and of a Carbon Reduction Grant administered by OKI for roughly $1.2 million to support level 3 fast chargers in neighborhood business districts. Kroner also said the city has secured a contract with Green Spot to install curbside chargers in business districts such as downtown and Over-the-Rhine, with a goal of roughly 100 curbside units over the next five years.

The grants, the Green Spot contract and a JLL fleet electrification analysis together create a near-term plan for both public charging and the city’s own vehicle transition, officials said. The committee heard that the city aims to pair vehicle purchases with charging access, collect telematics data to refine vehicle selection and concentrate charging hubs where they produce economies of scale.

The nut graf: Transportation produces about one-third of Cincinnati’s annual greenhouse-gas emissions, and officials said a combined strategy of reduced vehicle trips, transit and electrification is needed. The FHWA and OKI grants will fund public chargers, while a separate procurement and vendor contract will expand…