Durham County Council has launched a pilot scheme to allow people without a driveway to charge their electric vehicles (EV) at home.
The trial uses Kerbo Charge, which fits cable channels underneath the pavement outside residents’ homes. This installation features a liftable lid to enable users to easily insert and feed their cable to the street where they park.
This is the first time that the product has been trialled in the North East of England. Initially, 30 homes have been included in the pilot scheme, which is part-funded by the council’s Climate Change Investment Fund.
Cllr John Shuttleworth, Cabinet member for highways, rural communities, and community safety, said:We are delighted to have been selected to pilot this pioneering technology which will make owning an electric vehicle accessible to more of our residents. We decided to be involved in the pilot after residents living in properties without driveways got in touch with us about seeking a solution to charge their electric vehicles.
County Durham has many terraced streets and properties without driveways. Whilst we have installed hundreds of publicly accessible electric vehicle charge points in every area in the county, this solution will allow residents to access electric vehicle charging at home, making it easier for more people to drive an electric vehicle and reduce their carbon emissions.
Durham County Council invited other local authorities in the region to see the first installation of Kerbo Charge, with a view to it being installed across a greater area following the pilot.
If successful, the scheme will be offered to all residents in the county with a suitable property who will be given the option to pay towards the installation.
