East Lothian Council has become the latest local authority to trial the Kerbo Charge through-pavement charging channel to help drivers go electric.

East Lothian Council has become the latest local authority to trial the Kerbo Charge through-pavement charging channel to help drivers go electric.

Kerbo Charge’s cable gulleys enable residents without driveways to trail a cable safely from their home over a pavement to charge their car from a wall charger, significantly reducing the cost and hassle of charging.

When residents want to charge their car, they simply insert their charging cable into the channel and the specially designed lid closes behind, just like a zip. This eliminates the need for unsightly cables stretching across footpaths that are trip hazards for pedestrians.

The Kerbo Charge home EV charging channel is also able to bend with the pavement surface during installation, enabling discreet installs that do not require surrounding groundworks.

The East Lothian trial is privately funded at no cost to the council. A rollout across the county could significantly accelerate the adoption of EVs by residents with street parking by making it much more convenient and affordable to charge their cars.

Kerbo Charge calculates that residents save around £24 each time they charge their car at home using an off-peak tariff compared to public charging; resulting in a typical annual saving of around £1,100 under its estimates.

Councillor John McMillan, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment, Economic Development and Tourism at East Lothian Council, said: “As more people switch to electric vehicles, they are discovering the benefits of charging from home. Not only is it much cheaper than charging in public, but they can leave the house every day with a full battery, and most people are unlikely to need to charge anywhere else, unless they are driving on the odd long journey.”

Michael Goulden, CEO and co-founder of Kerbo Charge, said: “I’m delighted East Lothian Council is trialling home EV charging channels as they really do tackle an unfairness that needs addressing if we’re going to hit our net zero targets.”