Cross-pavement charging for electric car owners who don’t have a driveway is accelerating rapidly in the UK, with 42 percent of councils across England, Scotland and Wales now on track to offer it by the end of this year.
A Freedom of Information request by Vauxhall found that 56 tier-one councils either currently offer cross-pavement charging, or will introduce it before 2026 is out.
Seven of the 134 councils that responded to the Freedom of Information request have it live in their constituencies. A further 21 are at the trial stage, with plans underway in 28 more.
However, Vauxhall also discovered a lack of consistency in how councils are approaching applications from residents for cross-pavement gullies.
Some charge upwards of £1,000
Some councils will offer installation services for free, whereas others are asking more than £1,000.
There is also a lack of clarity about how to apply for cross-pavement charging, and how long people must wait before they find out if permission is granted.
Separate Vauxhall research has found that four in 10 UK households do not have a driveway. This is a key barrier to electric car ownership, as it means residents cannot easily benefit from cut-price home EV charging. Cross-pavement charging is intended to solve this problem.
Council clarity is needed
“To allow drivers across the country to feel confident going electric,” said Vauxhall MD Eurig Druce, “councils need to ensure they are providing drivers with as much clarity as possible about the options available to them, and how they can install EV charging outside their door.”
To help accelerate awareness of cross-pavement charging, Vauxhall has teamed up with leading provider Kerbo Charge on its Electric Streets of Britain campaign.
As part of the firm’s Electric All In offer, it will provide £500 off a Kerbo Charge installation to new EV buyers.
Vauxhall proudly adds that every electric car in its range costs less than £40,000, and is also eligible for the Electric Car Grant – saving customers £1,500.
What is Kerbo Charge?
Kerbo Charge says it is the leading provider of cross-pavement charging channels in the UK. Some 34 local authorities are trialling it, and more than 1,000 channels have already been installed.
A narrow strip is cut into the pavement and kerbs, into which the channel is then installed.
EV owners then insert their own charging cable into the channel, and securely close a lid above it – just like a zip, says Kerbo Charge. It means no cables stretching across pavements, and no trip hazards for pedestrians.
The channels, made in Derbyshire, are unique to the UK and are able to bend with the pavement surface – which is important as most UK pavements are not flat, notes the firm. It also means that surrounding groundworks are not required.
Kerbo Charge was founded by Michael Goulden and Ben Whitaker, who pitched the business on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den. They received £50,000 from Deborah Meaden in 2024.
“The best inventions solve widespread problems with simple and cost-effective solutions,” said Meaden. “Kerbo Charge does just that.”
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