New research by Vauxhall has found that 42% of councils will have cross-pavement charging available by the end of 2026.
The research found that 56 tier one councils across England, Scotland and Wales either currently offer or will be making cross-pavement charging available by the end of this year.
Cross-pavement channel charging allows EV owners to safely charge their vehicles from their home by running a charging cable through a discreet, self-closing channel installed in the pavement to their home charging wall box.
Currently, seven councils out of the 134 which responded to the Freedom of Information request have live cross-pavement charging in their constituencies, with a further 21 in the trial stage, and 28 planning to roll out cross-pavement charging in 2026.
However, the research also highlighted a lack of consistency from councils across the country in their methods and application processes for residents wanting to install cross-pavement gullies on their streets.
Costs for installation varied dramatically depending on council, with some local authorities offering installation services for free while others charge over £1,000.
Lack of clarity over the installation process of cross-pavement chargers has also recently been highlighted by Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England who, in a new report published in January, outlined frustrations from residents around not being provided with clear information on options available to them, being left in the dark about how to apply for cross-pavement charging, and long wait times before finding out if permission to install is granted.
The research comes as cross-pavement charging company Kerbo Charge joins Vauxhall's Electric Streets of Britain campaign.
As a new partner of Electric Streets of Britain, Vauxhall is offering new EV buyers £500 off Kerbo Charge installation as part of its ‘Electric All In’ offer, to help meet the diverse charging needs of drivers in the UK.
Eurig Druce, Managing Director, Vauxhall and Group Managing Director, Stellantis UK, said: “Cross-pavement charging is a great way to ensure EV charging access is available for the millions of drivers wanting to be able to charge at home, opening the door for many who are thinking about making the switch but still have concerns about practical charging near them. In order to allow drivers across the country to feel confident going electric, councils need to ensure they are providing drivers with as much clarity as possible about the options available to them, and how they can install EV charging outside their door.
"We are looking forward to working with Kerbo Charge to help even more drivers access practical charging solutions near them, and support councils on their own journeys to help more local residents to go electric.”
Michael Goulden, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kerbo Charge, said: “Millions of residents across the UK with on-street parking will be delighted they can take £500 off the cost of their cross-pavement channel and fully charge their new Vauxhall at home for less than £5. We're delighted to be partnering with Vauxhall - this is going to make a huge difference to EV adoption in the UK.”
Launched in 2023, Electric Streets of Britain was introduced by Vauxhall to help UK households find accessible EV charging infrastructure, with a particular consideration for the 40% of UK households that do not have a driveway3. Vauxhall continues to invite drivers to register the need for on-street charging to be installed near them at electricstreets.co.uk and now allows drivers to say if they would be interested in a cross-pavement channel installed at their home. Vauxhall will be working with Kerbo Charge to share this information with councils to help inform their strategies regarding cross-pavement charger trials and roll out.
