Oxfordshire County Council are piloting an initiative to let EV owners charge their cars outside of their own home, which will initially benefit 500 residents who don’t have their own driveway.

This will be possible due to gulleys in the pavement to thread charging cables through, which will allow an EV to be charged without causing a trip hazard.

The project is believed to the largest of its kind in the UK, and is possible thanks to a £700,000 government grant. The funding will significantly reduce the cost of the EV charging cable channel and its installation for the first 500 residents to successfully apply through the council’s website.

In the pilot scheme, the resident will pay the council £300, which includes a site survey, the installation of a channel and a licence to use the channel for the first two years. After the second year, they will have to pay the council an annual fee of around £100 to use the channel, which covers operating costs.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for peace, environment and climate action, said: “A third of Oxfordshire householders don’t have off-street parking, so we believe this could be a game-changer and give residents the confidence to switch to an EV.

“Being able to access home electricity rates and park in your usual spot are the sorts of things that are likely to make EV ownership a reality for many local people.

“We are confident that the scheme will be enthusiastically received and that this opportunity—alongside the major programme of public EV charger installation that we are about to embark on—will mean EV ownership will really take off in Oxfordshire in the next few years.”