On Street Home Charging

[digitalJP]

Hey,

Newbie here - thanks for accommodating this question. I'm considering switching to a Tesla from a BMW so I'm deep in research mode.

I live in Bristol - a typical Victorian/Edwardian street. I don't have a driveway; I'm on a corner, so I have a road out front and down the side of my house. I can physically install a home charger unit on my front or side wall.

Questions that naturally follow:

Is there anyway to secure a home charger so that another BEV couldn't charge without permission?
How do I work with the cable? I can't have it crossing the path as it'd be a trip hazard
Are there long cable versions so I have some flexibility on where I park?

I'm sure I can't be alone in living in a terraced house and wanting to own a Tesla. Thanks!

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Best bet is to talk to your local authority and see if they will agree a safe way to run a cable to the car. Some local authorities (Hampshire, for example) will allow a suitably protected and trip hazard resistant cable to be laid across a pavement, most won't (yet).

There are ways to safely run a cable across a pavement, but the local authority has to approve them, and it seems many are reluctant to do this. Solutions range from using rubber cable protectors, as used in workplaces to reduce trip hazards, through to persuading the local authority to let you run a channel across the pavement. I think the latter is a better solution, as a channel with a hinged lid to allow access for the cable, is probably the safest way to do this.

Might be worth seeing if your local authority has any policies regarding EVs, and whether you can leverage these to persuade them to let you run a cable safely across a pavement. TBH, something needs to be done to better facilitate charging for those who don't have off street parking, and way to safely run a cable across a pavement is probably one of the cheapest and easiest ways to do this. The main problem is likely to be a reluctance by the local authority to even consider the idea, and throw loads of red tape in the way, just because they can...

 

[digitalJP]

Best bet is to talk to your local authority and see if they will agree a safe way to run a cable to the car. .

Good call Jeremy. You may have read that Bristol has just agreed a city centre-wide diesel car ban, so I hope they are accommodating when drivers need to switch to EVs. I'll start there. Be fantastic if they were to allow me to mark a bay in the road...

 

[WannabeOwner]

I guess the answer to this is no - otherwise you wouldn't be asking but can you charge at work? if not, and you have a car park at work, then why is your employer not yet providing that?

There is some progress on Street Lamp charging (adapting street land circuitry to support EV charging). Dunno if you have street lamps in your street, but if so that might be a route to explore with your council.

 

[ewoodrick]

There are many solutions, not many are elegant. Do you have dedicated parking? If not, is it really a viable option?

 

[NewbieT]

Check with your local council re: street light charger? Charging points for residents without off-street parking | Electric vehicles - charging points | London Borough of Hounslow

 

[digitalJP]

but can you charge at work? if not, and you have a car park at work, then why is your employer not yet providing that?.

I’m self employed and work from home. I thought my employer was a fair minded soul (he’s thinking about giving me a Tesla company car), but I’ll go in harder.

Joking aside, that’s kinda the nub of the problem.

 

[digitalJP]

There are many solutions, not many are elegant. Do you have dedicated parking? If not, is it really a viable option?

No dedicated parking but I’ve asked the council if they’d consider granting an electric car road bay for me

 

[digitalJP]

Check with your local council re: street light charger?

there’s a lamppost. Good call. I’ll explore this

 

[adsheff]

I'm not sure it's viable to be honest. I don't think it's right that people walking on already narrow pavements have to step over your cables. Imagine an elderly person stepping over nine of those cable cover things.

 

[NewbieT]

I guess it depends on where the lamp post /bollard is. A few pics here: https://www.ubitricity.co.uk

 

[Daverh]

I'm not sure it's viable to be honest. I don't think it's right that people walking on already narrow pavements have to step over your cables. Imagine an elderly person stepping over nine of those cable cover things.

I agree, it's a potential problem in the future, expecially for those on terraces who won't always be parked right outside their own house. I can imagine the local councils won't be too happy about increasing levels of ev charger spaghetti

I'm fortunate to live on a relatively quiet street albeit near a school so my backup plan for charging at home is to take the cable (with anti-trip measures) across the pavement for a couple of hours after 22:00. I've skimmed back over a couple of weeks of CCTV alerts and found that most people have a routine where by that time the dogs have all been walked and the only frequent passers-by are a couple who walk past just after midnight every evening.

 

[MD70]

Once you have spoken with the council please let us know what they say.

 

[Jason71]

to answer part of your question yes I believe it is possible with some home chargers to disable them via the accompanying app.

 

[Daverh]

I saw this posted elsewhere on the forum but there's a chap who's managed to get permission for his own charging bollard and a matching EV only bay + sign.
EV Maps on Twitter

 

[Glan gluaisne]

As mentioned earlier, I believe that Hampshire will allow you to run a temporary cable over the pavement as long as it's in a cable protector ramp, the sort of thing used in factories and film sets. If you can show that it doesn't present a trip hazard and will only be down overnight when charging then they may be amenable to the idea. I believe the main concerns are the safety of partially sighted people and those less able, or with push chairs. I'd have thought a low profile heavy rubber protector ramp would be OK, maybe one of the ones with high contrast yellow stripes.

Another possibility may be to see if they would allow an overhead boom, that can be swung out well above head height to carry the cable across to the car. A bit more cost and faff, but it might be an option.

 

[Daverh]

Good - Electric vehicle charging – guidance for residents

Bad - Beith Driver told by council that safety cover for cable is a hazard

I like that guy's device except I cringe at the thought of running power through a conductive material, moreso given the lack of abrasion protection (grommets?) on the pivot and cable entry points. Oh and lack of high vis decals.

 

[zayn]

No dedicated parking but I’ve asked the council if they’d consider granting an electric car road bay for me

no council will dedicate a bay just for you. it will be subject to the survey of where the council see's most demand for EV charging posts to be installed. As yet I can't see this working in favour for any EV driver as what prevents someone ICE or otherwise parking in that spot for the whole day. If you can't enforce a EV bay (under traffic laws similar to a disabled bay) then it is a waste of time