BGSU partnered with the City of Bowling Green in 2010 to apply for a grant from Clean Fuels, Ohio and the U.S. Department of Energy for the purchase and installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. The grant was awarded and three EV stations were installed in downtown Bowling Green, as well as on the BGSU campus, which are available to the university community as well as the public. The grant award covered all but 25% of the cost, which was paid for through the BGSU Student Green Initiatives Fund. This is a fund composed of an optional fee that many students pay each semester which is dedicated to green and sustainability projects on campus. The EV station installations made the Bowling Green area the location in Ohio with the greatest availability of sites for charging electric or hybrid vehicles per square mile in the state. The sites are featured on a national phone app which alerts those driving electric vehicles of locations for charging. Currently, there is no cost for the electricity at any of the city or campus sites, and a nominal charge for the parking. The use of the stations are monitored and records of the total electricity used are kept, demonstrating that they are in fact popular and being used as the public begins to embrace electric vehicles.
Parking is reserved for drivers who are actively charging their electric vehicles. No special permits required. Drivers only need to pay for the meter.