Bath and North Somerset assesses on-street cable charging
Plans for a trial of on-street cable channels for EV charging are due to be considered by Bath & North Somerset Council.
The move, which follows a report on a proposed 18-month trial, would allow residents with no off-street parking to charge vehicles from their home energy supply.
Councillor Sarah Warren, deputy leader and cabinet member for Climate and Sustainable Travel, is being recommended to approve the trial of three different charging cable channels, which would be installed within the footway, offering residents an alternative to trailing cables across the pavement – which is prohibited and causes accessibility issues.
The new cable channel products would be trialled with 60 participants to identify if they are acceptable; provide an alternative to trailing cables; and informa future offer to residents of applying for a cable channel.
At present, residents without driverways in the local authority area can only charge EVs at off-street public chargers, such as in council-run car parks, and there is no provision for on-street parking.
Councillor Sarah Warren said: “With more and more people choosing the greener option of an electric vehicle, there is a growing issue in areas where there is no off-street parking. Cables trailing across the pavement present a trip hazard as well as a risk of damage to people’s cables. We are always considering ways to make electric vehicle charging more convenient for people, so I will be reviewing the merits of this trial carefully when making my decision on whether it should proceed.
“We also plan to look at the viability of other ways to improve EV charging, such as providing lamp post charging and on street charging hubs, because we recognise that on-street cable channels would only be viable for certain people whose property and pavement access route allows.
“However, we also recognise that a switch to electric vehicles alone will not achieve the carbon emission reductions that we need to see to hit net zero, which is why we have invested in active travel routes across the district to make cycling and walking a more convenient option for more people.”
The news comes as a number of cable charging products and innovations enter the market for on-street options, including most recently Kerbo Charge, which is being trialled in Milton Keynes.
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