A pilot scheme in County Durham will see people without a driveway be able to charge their electric vehicle (EV) at home.
Durham County Council is trialling a new product, Kerbo Charge, to help enable people without access to off-street parking to have an EV.
Council staff received training in how to install the solution, which will see cable channels fitted underneath the pavement outside residents’ homes, with a liftable lid that will enable them to access the chargepoint.
The first property to be fitted with the technology was in Sunniside, Crook, as part of 30 properties in the county that have been selected to pilot the scheme.
This is the first time the product has been trialled in the North East of England, with the pilot part-funded by the council’s Climate Change Investment Fund.
Cllr John Shuttleworth, cabinet member for highways, rural communities, and community safety, Durham County Councl, said: “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 EVs.
“Their properties were checked for suitability before a programme of installation was planned and a contribution towards the install was agreed.”
Other local authorities in the region were invited to see the first installation with a view to it being installed wider following the pilot.
According to Durham County Council, if the pilot is effective, the scheme will be offered to all residents in the county with a suitable property who will be given the option to pay toward the installation.
Innovations and achievements such as this will highlighted and celebrated at the second annual CiTTi Awards on 21 November 2023 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Entries are now open and close on August 21. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
