Do you struggle to charge your electric vehicle without a driveway?

If you live in Devon or Torbay and charge your Electric Vehicle (EV) at home but don’t have a driveway you can apply to have a cross-pavement cable channel installed for free as part of a pioneering new trial.

A cable channel allows a vehicle to be charged while parked on the road without cables crossing the surface of the pavement.

Resident Chris Neagle of Exeter who has a cable channel installed; he says it saves him money because he can now take advantage of ‘off-peak’ charging rates without worrying about the impact of cables on the pavement. 

It’s all part of the Devon and Torbay Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) project which is supported by an £8m grant provided by the Department for Transport.

A key barrier to the uptake of EVs s the availability of suitable charging infrastructure at home for those that do not have off road parking.

Because cable channels are cut into the footway it enables EV charging cables to reach safely from the property boundary to your  EV.

Although cables must be removed from the channel when not in use, removal is easy to do and takes a few seconds.    

If you are a homeowner, drive an EV, have an EV charger at home, and do not have access to off-road parking but can safely park on-street outside of your property, you can apply to be considered for a free installation during the trial

The trial will enable Devon County Council and Torbay Council to collect information to understand where this solution will be most suitable and ensure that the installation of future cable channels can be managed/delivered effectively.

Chris added: “It’s easy and quick to put in, easy and quick to take out and means I can charge my vehicle whenever I want. This saves us money and helps the family finances.”

For more information, please visit a dedicated webpage on Devon County Council’s website.