The Government announced a massive £63 million investment package into the EV sector on 13th July, with £25m earmarked for cross-pavement charging.
This is a huge boost for drivers without off-street parking, around 40% of the population, who can now benefit from Indra and Kerbo Charge’s solution. Up until now, millions living in terraced housing, flats or city locations without driveways have found it more challenging to switch to EV driving. They have needed to charge away from home at greater cost, but that is all changing thanks to the recent governmental boost.
Electric vehicles (EVs) now account for 1.5 million of the cars on UK roads, making up roughly 4% of all vehicles registered in the country. No doubt, making the switch to electric driving is becoming increasingly popular, and with growing charging infrastructure, drivers are gaining confidence to make the switch (no pun intended!).
For the last two years, cross-pavement EV charging solution providers, Kerbo Charge, and Indra have been working together to offer a turnkey solution to EV drivers without off-road parking.
Many UK homeowners living in urban areas frequently live in terraced housing or converted flats, meaning they lack a private driveway or garage and are forced to park on the street, creating a huge barrier to owning and charging an EV. Trailing a cable across the pavement creates a trip hazard and legal liabilities, meaning EV fuelling must be done at public charging points, which can be inconvenient, unreliable and expensive.
The cost of using public chargers, with the added VAT, can be up to seven times the amount of home charging, and in some instances, can cost more than using petrol; hardly an incentive.
Thankfully, the government has recognised these deterrents to EV adoption and this week announced a £650 million grant to help not only with the purchasing of an electric vehicle, but with £25 million of it allocated specifically for local authorities to install cross-pavement gullies. This means enabling homeowners to run a charging cable under the public walkway to emerge at the roadside and plug into the car, facilitating the most cost-effective charging on specific smart EV tariffs available, regardless of the day or night, a feature of Indra’s chargers.
Kerbo Charge and Indra offer the complete turnkey solution for those making the leap to EV driving. Indra’s chargers are amongst the few that work with smart EV tariffs and enable the cheapest way to charge an electric vehicle. When they're facilitated by Kerbo Charge’s game-changing charging gullies, homeowners without driveways can reduce their carbon footprint and benefit from the lower costs of running an EV. An additional bonus is that there is another existing grant of up to £350 for those buying both a cross pavement and an EV charger, offering an even greater incentive to switch to electric driving.
Kerbo Charge’s pavement channel is designed with safety and durability in mind. Created from uPVC (calcium zinc stabilised polyvinyl chloride), it is a high-strength thermoplastic that won’t conduct electricity and will endure for many decades without degradation from sunlight. The ability to charge at home, overnight or during the day with an Indra charger paired with a cheaper smart EV tariff saves money in your wallet but also prevents the faster wear on the EV’s battery health that can become damaged over time by repeated fast or ultra-rapid public charging.
Sitting flush to the pavement’s surface, Kerbo Charge’s channel features a self-closing lid which prevents trip hazards and maintains a clean streetscape. The system is weatherproof, tamper-resistant and built for endurance, giving homeowners peace of mind and a highly practical way to access cheaper, overnight home charging.
Indra’s EV chargers offer various lengths of cable or a socketed version, depending on the charger model. This enables a choice of charging cable to be channelled to the vehicle, accommodating various distances from car to charger.
Indra’s chargers are amongst a very few that interface with smart EV tariffs from various energy suppliers. The ability to charge for a mere few pence per mile offers a huge saving over public charging, rapidly offsetting the cost of installation and the purchase of the EV – and did we mention that there is also funding to help with purchasing the car in the first place?
Now millions will be able to access the clean transport transition, reducing car running costs with ease. With home charging enabling driving from as little as 7p per mile, a journey in a home-charged EV from London to Birmingham could be made for a mere £8.50, over half the cost of using a traditional petrol or diesel vehicle.
Making the switch to EV driving helps the country with its Net Zero goals, creating cleaner air for all, but also offers the possibility of saving massively on fuelling a vehicle every year.
The government grant and the ongoing shift to EV driving aren’t only about reducing emissions, although it’s an important element. It’s about creating a sustainable transportation system to serve everyone, not just the few. Access to affordable charging shouldn’t depend on having a driveway, and the proactive funding from the government, paired with innovative, energy-efficient EV charging solutions from Indra & Kerbo Charge, is key to levelling the playing field of EV ownership.
Chief Commercial Officer at Indra, Simon Tate, said,
“This cash injection from the government is a big win for the EV world! The £63m boost to electric vehicle infrastructure couldn’t come at a better time to give everyone a much-needed boost of confidence. It is especially welcome given that £25 million is focused on providing a great EV charging solution for the 40% of households who don’t have a driveway
.”
Michael Goulden, the co-founder of Kerbo Charge, said it is,
“Excellent news that the government recognises the importance of cross-pavement charging to encourage the adoption of charging for people without driveways”.
For more information about how Indra and Kerbo Charge’s all-in-one solution can help bring the benefits of home EV charging to those without driveways, get in touch with our team.
Explore more of Indra’s journey — visit our awards page to see past recognition, or learn more about our EV chargers and how we’re shaping the future of home charging.
