BAY AREA, Calif. -- The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced Wednesday that it is funding more than 200 electric vehicle charging stations at 48 locations around the region.

The 226 stations, combined with about 70 already in place in the Bay Area, are designed to form a region-wide infrastructure network for electric vehicles, according to district officials.

"As automakers provide more electric vehicle options, it's important that the infrastructure is in place to support these cleaner transportation options," Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the air district, said in a statement.

The charging stations will be placed in parking lots and garages located near highways that will be available for use by the general public.

Recipients of grants from the air district include San Francisco, which is receiving $100,000 for 60 stations in the city.

Alameda County is receiving $84,760 for 40 stations in Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward and Dublin. Santa Clara County is receiving $85,720 for 40 stations in San Jose.

Santa Rosa is receiving $42,860 for 20 stations in Santa Rosa, while Sonoma County is receiving $72,900 for an additional 30 stations in the city.

Palo Alto is receiving $12,000 for six stations in the city, while Better Place, an electric vehicle company, received $30,000 for 30 additional stations in Palo Alto.

All stations must be installed within two years to be eligible for the grants, according to air district spokeswoman Jennifer Alverson-Jones.

About $1.5 million in funding from the air district is still available for alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure projects. Grant applications and additional eligibility criteria can be found on the air district's Web site at www.baaqmd.gov/tfcaregional.