Mr Nigel Henderson charges his red hybrid car on-street. The cable conduit is running across the pavement

Nottinghamshire County Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging Cable (EVCC) Pilot scheme has been rolled out in Retford for the first time as part of the countywide trial to assess the suitability of EV charging cable channels that will enable residents without driveways to charge their electric vehicles outside their homes.

The scheme is part of a government-funded trial to better understand the range of solutions that are available for charging electric vehicles on the street and is expected to run until early next year.

Following successful installations in other parts of the county, a new cable channel, supplied by Kerbo Charge as one of the scheme’s trial solutions, was installed in Retford for the first time at the home owned by Nigel Henderson. Nigel’s application met the criteria for submission to the pilot which includes homes with no off-street parking, owning or leasing an EV vehicle, along with a charger that has been installed or is awaiting installation.

Nigel said, “On my street, most houses do not have off-road parking, so my new electric vehicle charging channel is a game-changer. It makes charging my plug-in hybrid car a breeze and helps me reduce my use of petrol, which helps the environment. It's quick and easy to use, reaching about one parking space in either direction with a long enough cable from the charger, which is fitted on my brick gate post. The installation was quick and the team fitted the channel exactly where the survey said they would.”

Councillor Neil Clarke MBE Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council said, “We are delighted that residents like Nigel have benefitted from the EV cable charging trial.

“As we steer our way through the EV transition journey, charging has become an increasing priority. It’s great to see Retford’s first cable channel installed and the trial will enable us to test the plug and charge solutions which will be necessary for us to thrive in the future.

“One of the primary motivations for switching to an electric vehicle is to reduce your carbon footprint. We hope that the cable channel will make it easier for more of our residents to drive an electric vehicle. Plus, it will enable the council to determine if it can manage an adequate on-street charging infrastructure for people without driveways.”

The trial contributes to the goals set out in the Nottinghamshire to encourage more people to convert to electric vehicles by adding facilities for home charging across the county, while the adoption of new green technologies that protect our environment will play a key role in fulfilling the county’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions.

The work to install the cable channel involves cutting a groove into the footway outside residents’ homes which extends the EV charging cable from their home charge point to the public highway. This does away with the need to lay the charging cable on the pavement.

Residents who live in Nottinghamshire who have an EV or are planning to get one and have no access to off-street parking, are encouraged to apply to participate in the scheme. Residents who would like to see if they are eligible for a cable channel to be installed free of charge, can complete an online form at the Via website: www.viaem.co.uk/evcc