An estimated 40% of the UK population does not have access to a driveway, meaning that many electric vehicle owners either need to trail a cable over the pavement in the front of their house - creating a trip hazard - or use public chargers, which typically cost around £23 more per charge than topping up at home. 

The Kerbo Charge channel differs from other ‘cable channel’ products in three key ways:

• The specially designed polymer channel includes a self-closing lid that snaps down shut as the cable is inserted and removed – eliminating the trip hazard to members of the public.
• It’s been built to contour with the surface of the pavement which means it will reliably sit flush with the pavement surface. 
• Its shallow form factor allows for fast installation by council engineers as there is no need to cut below the top tarmac layer of the pavement.

More and more people are looking to make the jump to electric cars, contributing to a more sustainable future and the UK’s net zero emissions target. But with rapid public charge points costing more per mile than petrol, and electric cars costing around 35% more to buy than the petrol equivalent, there is a real risk that residents without off-street parking will be left behind unless charging at home is made possible.

Milton Keynes is the first city to receive public installations of this solution, with additional local authority partnerships planned for the rest of the UK. 

John and Grace Obidipe [pictured] are among Kerbo Charge’s first customers. Previously they had to trail a cable across their pavement or drive one mile to a public charging point. Now, with the Kerbo Charge they simply lift thelid on the duct, drop their cable in, and charge away via an app.

John Obidipe said: “I’ve not felt particularly comfortable trailing a cable over the pavement to charge my car, and public charge points are very expensive. Now I can safely charge at home, which I’m really happy about.”

Kerbo Charge Co-founder Michael Goulden said: “We developed this product in partnership with local authorities - the critical design requirements are the ability to flex with uneven pavement surfaces, be easy to install and to be safe for all foot traffic. We also offer cashback incentives for customers who share their charge point with other members of their community.”

Milton Keynes City Council Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Sustainability, Cllr Jennifer Wilson-Marklew said: “This is a really innovative and exciting trial which could encourage people to make the switch to electric. We’re constantly looking for ways to both improve charging facilities and to give people the confidence that they will be able to charge their cars.”

Kerbo Charge also installs fast charging smart chargers, via its partner Indra. Residents can then charge their car up to three times as fast as regular household sockets.

The Milton Keynes partnership is the first in a series of planned local authority rollouts for customers with on-street parking. Kerbo Charge is available to all UK residents living on private roads, who can sign up straight away.

Prices start at £999 including fitting and obtaining approvals from the local authority, which typically pays for itself within nine months compared to the cost of public charging. 

 Drivers not living on private roads can register their interest on the website to get priority access when the scheme becomes available in their area.