Slough Borough Council began a one-year trial of pavement cable channels that let residents without a driveway connect an on-street electric car to a wall-mounted home charger without leaving a loose cable across the footway.
Key facts
- The council received £130,000 from the UK Department for Transport’s Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant to support the scheme.
- The initial trial covers 20 installations; the first channels were installed by Kerbo Charge on 12 August.
- Accepted residents pay £399 toward the channel installation and arrange their own wall-mounted EV charger.
Context and details
The channel is installed flush with the pavement so the charging cable can cross the public footway without creating the same trip hazard as a loose cable. The council says this is its approved method for residents who usually park outside their home and can access a ground-floor electricity supply.
Slough estimates that home charging through the channel could save some users around £4,000 per year compared with relying on public charging, but actual savings will depend on tariffs, mileage and charging habits.
Why it matters
Access to home charging remains difficult for residents who park on the street. A controlled pavement-channel scheme gives municipalities another way to expand residential charging without requiring a private driveway.
What this means in practice
The important lesson is not to run a cable across a public pavement without approval. Any similar solution in Israel would need permission from the relevant municipality, an approved physical channel and electrical installation by an appropriately licensed professional.
What to check before making a practical decision
Before buying equipment or ordering an installation, open the original publication and verify whether a newer official update has appeared. Separate announced plans and estimates from infrastructure or certification that is already in force.