Electric car scheme trial for on street parkers in Central Bedfordshire

A safer way to charge up cars on the street
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Electric car owners in Central Bedfordshire are being invited to take part in a pilot scheme to allow them to charge at home even if they don't have off-street parking.

The pilot will test on-street electric vehicle charging using a specially designed ‘gully’ or channel installed into the pavement.

The gully allows residents to safely connect their electric vehicle to their electricity supply when parked outside their home. The channel is seamlessly integrated into the pavement and has been designed so that cables will not cause a trip or slip hazard.

A purpose-built cable channel that is laid in the footway to allow the safe trailing of a charging cable from property to vehicle. (The image is illustrative and shows a prototype version of the product installed in Oxford).A purpose-built cable channel that is laid in the footway to allow the safe trailing of a charging cable from property to vehicle. (The image is illustrative and shows a prototype version of the product installed in Oxford).
A purpose-built cable channel that is laid in the footway to allow the safe trailing of a charging cable from property to vehicle. (The image is illustrative and shows a prototype version of the product installed in Oxford).

The idea has been developed by ODS; a company which is part of Oxford City Council and provides commercial services to other local authorities and private companies.

A spokesman for CBC said: "We are one of the first local authorities to be testing this on the highway and have a few spaces left on our pilot. If you have an electric vehicle that you park on the road outside your property, we would love to hear from you by emailing: [email protected]."

The council will fund 20 channels and if the scheme is given the green light, fees will be introduced for other users.

Further information on the pilot, including eligibility criteria and FAQs, is available online: https://bit.ly/3GFiT3y

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