Centerville will be the first community in southwestern Ohio to provide a public charging station for electric vehicles when it installs one this fall near the Main and Franklin streets intersection.

The city has been awarded a matching grant from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation through Clean Fuels Ohio to put in the terminal, which will be located at the western end of the municipal lot that can be entered from the west side of Main Street behind Panera Bread or from the south side of Franklin.

The location will be behind Houck Remodeling (39 W. Franklin St.), said Jennifer Wilder, assistant to the city manager. The city hopes to have it installed by Nov. 1.

The station will put Centerville on the map — literally.

“We will be on the GPS map for EV station locations. We will have signage on Franklin and Main streets once the station is ready,” Wilder said.

According to the national Alternative Fuels Data Center, there are 4,064 electric charging stations in the U.S., not including private ones. In Ohio, most are located at dealerships that sell electric vehicles, including the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt and Ford Focus Electric.

The Upper Valley Mall in Springfield (in front of the mall near MCSports) and the Cincinnati Premium Outlets in Monroe (on an island behind Saks Fifth Avenue’s Off 5th store) both provide two-vehicle charging centers at no charge. A spokesperson for The Greene in Beavercreek said locations are being studied for one or more units in time for the winter holiday shopping season.

Dublin, near Columbus, is among other Ohio cities that also received a Clean Fuels grant for an electric charging station.

Centerville users will pay for the service by credit card. Internet access and a card reader will be part of the station. Wilder said the cost will be $1.50 to $1.75 per hour. “We aren’t looking to produce revenue with this, only to cover expenses and maintenance.”

One of the two parking spaces at the station will be reserved for electric vehicles only, but no time limit is planned.

Many EV owners have chargers at their homes, but not many of the cars are on the road yet.

J. D. Clark, Chevrolet sales manager, said the Jeff Wyler dealership in Springfield quickly sold its allotment of two 2012 Chevy Volts to customers from Yellow Springs and Cincinnati. “We’ll get three next year,” he said.

The Volt also has a gasoline engine.

Clark said GM sells an “upper-level charger” for about $200.

Wilder said the grant is a matching one that would provide up to $7,500. “We are currently receiving proposals and expect the total cost to be between $9,000 and $12,000, with half paid by the city. We are also considering putting in a second station in the lot off Kalaman Way behind city offices. This fits with other green initiatives we have started in recent years.”

Dayton Power & Light Co. recommends that people considering buying an electric vehicle call its Construction Control Center at (800) 253-5801. The company, which doesn’t sell charging units, will review the customer’s electric system to determine if changes or upgrades are advisable.

DP&L and auto dealers often recommend that EV buyers hire a qualified electrician to install a 240-volt outlet in the garage, the same type of higher-voltage outlet used for electric dryers, ranges and other high-current appliances.