Kerbo Charge has announced the installation of through-pavement charging channels in Stirling to allow drivers without a driveway to charge their electric vehicle (EV) at home.
The trial was the brainchild of Stirling resident, Stephen Gordon, after he found the product online.
With no driveway, Gordon was reluctant to make the switch from a petrol to an electric car due to inconvenient and expensive public charging points.
A resident that can charge at home pays on average £680 per year to charge their car, versus a significantly higher £1,820 for an EV driver that relies on public chargers.
Given that around 40% of UK households have street parking the cost of public charging creates a major barrier to EV adoption.
The Kerbo Charge trial aims to address this inequality by installing through-pavement channels outside households, allowing residents to safely charge an EV on the street from their own supply.
When residents want to charge, they insert their charging cable and the specially designed self-closing lid closes behind just like a zip.
This solution removes the risk of trips and falls from charging cables trailing across footways and the slim and shallow channel integrates with the pavement surface, minimising disruption to existing infrastructure.
As the channel is made from PVC, it also boasts a significantly lower carbon footprint than metal alternatives, says Kerbo Charge.
Gordon said: “Stirling council is very forward thinking with roadside charging and with the Kerbo Charge channel install, other councils will have to follow suit to keep up.
“I’m really happy with the result, it looks perfect and you definitely don’t notice it on the pavement.”
Kerbo Charge co-founder, Michael Goulden, added: “Thousands of residents across Scotland are ready to move to electric, but only when they can charge at home.
“We hope councils across Scotland will follow Stirling’s lead and make these available for their residents. We want to highlight that they are 100% privately funded with no cost to the taxpayer.”
The Stirling trial is part of a series of planned local authority rollouts for customers with on-street parking.
Kerbo Charge is already available in nine local authorities in England, including Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keyes and Nottinghamshire, and residents can find out if they are eligible by clicking here.
Prices start at £999 including fitting and obtaining approvals from the local authority.
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Gareth has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist having started his career in local newspapers in the 1990s. Prior to joining Fleet News in 2008, he worked in the public sector as a media advisor and is currently news editor at Fleet News.
Lloydy1980 - 10/04/2024 11:40
What happens when the council come through with a new service or re-tarmac the pavements? Are they going to charge the homeowner to reinstate their Kerbo???