Durham County Council has launched a pilot scheme to help residents without driveways charge their electric vehicles at home.

A total of 30 properties in the county have been selected to pilot the scheme

It’s working with UK startup Kerbo Charge to fit its self-closing cable channel underneath the pavement outside drivers’ homes, enabling drivers to trail a cable safely from their home to charge their car from a wall charger.

Staff at the council have now received a training session from Kerbo Charge on how to install the new product, which features a liftable lid to enable residents to easily access the charge point.

A total of 30 properties in the county have been selected to pilot the scheme – and the first channel has already been fitted in Sunniside, Crook.

It marks the first time the product has been trialled in the North East, with the pilot part-funded by the council’s Climate Change Investment Fund.

Cllr John Shuttleworth, Cabinet member for highways, rural communities, and community safety, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to pilot this pioneering technology which will make owning an electric vehicle accessible to more of our residents.

“We decided to be involved in the pilot after residents living in properties without driveways got in touch with us about seeking a solution to charge their electric vehicles. Their properties were checked for suitability before a programme of installation was planned and a contribution towards the install was agreed.

“County Durham has many terraced streets and properties without driveways. Whilst we have installed hundreds of publicly accessible electric vehicle charge points in every area in the county, this solution will allow residents to access electric vehicle charging at home, making it easier for more people to drive an electric vehicle and reduce their carbon emissions. It also supports our work as part of our Climate Emergency Response Plan where we are working towards reducing emissions across the county.”

If the pilot is effective, the scheme will be offered to all residents in the county with a suitable property who will be given the option to pay towards the installation.

It’s also hoped that the pilot will roll out to further areas after other local authorities in the region were also invited to see the first installation.