The first of 100 electric vehicle charging stations to be spread around the Tampa Bay area this year will be switched on June 30 in parking lots at AAA South offices in Tampa's West Shore and Palm Harbor.

It's part of a $37 million federal Department of Energy program that aims to pump up electric vehicle sales by providing more places to plug them in for a free recharge.

The grant paved the way for about 300 charging stations in the tourist-rich Orlando area, but officials expect 100 more to be up and charging in the bay area by the end of this year.

"So far about half of them are spoken for, but we're looking for more," said Dave Hein, director of engineering for AAI Electrify, a New Port Richey firm that's one of the contractors handling the program here for Coulomb Technologies. Most of those willing to pay the $7,000 to $12,000 installation costs are restaurants, office buildings and government facilities.

For the time being, the typical 30- to 60-minute charge to top off vehicles on the road will be free to any motorist, even at AAA. The self-service 110- and 240-volt stations operate around the clock. Information to sign up for an account card, wireless key fob or inquire about landing a station can be found at chargepointnetwork.com.

Prices in Florida have not been set for the day when the service will be charged for. But federal studies suggest the cost of running a car on electricity is equal to 70-cent-a-gallon gasoline.