Stirling Council trials Kerbo Charge in Scotland’s first ever on-street electric car charging channel

Kerbo Charge has gone live in Stirling! – the first on-street electric car charging channel to be available in Scotland.

The trial is revolutionising how residents without a driveway can charge their electric vehicles right from their homes. This series of rollouts makes it easier for residents to switch to electric cars and helps the UK achieve its net zero target.  

The idea for a trial was brought to the council’s attention by Stirling resident, Stephen Gordon, after finding the product from a Google search. With no driveway, Mr Gordon was reluctant to make the switch from a petrol to an electric car due to inconvenient and expensive public charging points. With their own objectives for a fossil fuel-free future in mind, Stirling council were keen to find solutions to help encourage residents to make the switch.

An incentive to make the switch to electric

The latest data from Zap Map shows that given the cost of public charging, there is currently no economic incentive to move from petrol/diesel cars to electric unless you can charge at home. A resident that can charge at home pays on average £680 per year to charge their car, versus a significantly higher £1,820 for a resident that relies on public chargers. Meanwhile, it costs £1,470 per year if you’re driving a petrol car. Given that around 40% of UK households have street parking the cost of public charging creates a major barrier to EV adoption.

The Kerbo Charge trial addresses this inequality 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.

Staying ahead of the curve with roadside charging

Stirling resident Stephen Gordon said: “Stirling Council is very forward-thinking with roadside charging and with the Kerbo Charge channel install, other councils will have to follow suit to keep up. I’m really happy with the result, it looks perfect and you definitely don’t notice it on the pavement”.

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, and residents can find out if they are eligible by visiting www.kerbocharge.com/enter-your-postcode.

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.