Stirling Council is trialling through-pavement charging channels that enable residents without driveways to charge electric vehicles right from their homes.

Stirling resident Stephen Gordon plugging into his EV on-street thanks to his new Kerbo Charge channel

The local authority is the first in Scotland to test out Kerbo Charge’s EV charging solution, which make it easier for residents to switch to electric cars, supporting the UK’s net zero target.

The idea for a trial was spotlighted by Stirling resident Stephen Gordon after finding the product from a Google search. With no driveway, he was reluctant to make the switch from a petrol to an electric car due to the need to rely on public charging points.

Figures indicate that 40% of UK households upwards don’t have driveways, creating a major barrier to EV adoption.

The Kerbo Charge trial addresses this by installing through-pavement channels outside households, allowing residents to safely charge their electric vehicles on the street from their own supply. When residents want to charge, they insert their charging cable and the specially designed self-closing lid closes behind just like a zip.

This solution removes the risk of trips and falls from charging cables trailing across footways and the slim and shallow channel seamlessly integrates with the pavement surface, minimising disruption to existing infrastructure. As the channel is made from PVC, it also boasts a significantly lower carbon footprint than metal alternatives.

Kerbo Charge co-founder Michael Goulden said: “Thousands of residents across Scotland are ready to move to electric, but only when they can charge at home. We hope councils across Scotland will follow Stirling’s lead and make these available for their residents. We want to highlight that they are 100% privately funded with no cost to the taxpayer.”

The Stirling trial is part of a series of planned local authority rollouts for customers with on-street parking.

Kerbo Charge is already available in nine local authorities in England, including Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keyes and Nottinghamshire. Residents can find out if they are eligible by checking here. Prices start at £999 including fitting and obtaining approvals from the local authority – and the firm says this typically pays for itself within nine months compared to the cost of public charging.