Lancaster has paired up with a German company to provide electric vehicle charging stations at the base of five streetlights in the downtown area. The charging units made by Ebee Smart Technologies GmbH in Berlin have been installed throughout Europe. A grant from the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District covers 80 percent of the cost of installation, operations and maintenance costs as well as five years of data collection. The balance is being picked up by private-sector sponsors, including Eluminocity in Munich, the company that makes the outer housing of the charging units. The cost, if any, to users was not specified. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said the city was excited about the venture with Ebee. “The city of Lancaster is at the forefront of alternative energy developments because of our commitment to progress through innovation and collaboration,” Parris said in a prepared statement.