J.Boerman 9
“De installalatie keurig volgens offerte en tijdsplanning snel en vakkundig aangebracht.”
Solar panels for an electric car
Curious how much you save by charging your electric car with solar energy? Read our blog.
Read moreA charging cable across the pavement: is that allowed?
Is a charging cable across the pavement allowed, and what are the alternatives?
Charging an electric car at home can be a challenge without a charging station and a drive. Rather than waiting for a space at an expensive public charging point in the street, you may prefer to park in front of the house and run the cable across the pavement. But is that allowed? This blog has the answer.
Permission for a charging cable across the pavement
Installing a charging station without a drive of your own may look like a challenge, but there are other ways to charge an electric car. If you can park on a public space in front of your house, you can apply to your council for an exemption under the local by-laws. With that exemption you may lay a charging cable across the pavement or the road. Without one you risk a hefty fine, which can run to 259 euros.
Note that every council has its own policy. In practice some grant no exemption at all, while others offer special paving slabs with a channel for the cable. So it is wise to ask your own council first.
A charging cable across the pavement, safely
Once you have an exemption, certain rules apply to keep the public space safe. Whoever uses the cable carries the cost and the risk, and can be held liable for any damage or accident it causes. The following guidelines apply:
- Put the charging point on your own property.
- Make sure the public parking space borders directly on the pavement.
- Check that the cable is in good condition.
- Remember that you cannot reserve the public parking space; it has to stay available to everyone.
- Be considerate towards your neighbours while your car is charging.
- Keep the cable to a maximum of 10 metres across the pavement, measured from the edge of your property to the car.
- Run the cable along the pavement as much as you can.
- Cover the cable safely with a cable mat, so it does not get in the way of other people or trip them up.
- Clear the cable and the mat away after use.
A cable channel or a charging arm as a solution
Besides an exemption, there are two other ways to charge an electric car with a cable. The first is a cable channel made for electric cars. In some councils you can have a special channel installed: paving slabs with a slot that the charging cable fits into exactly.
The second is a charging arm, a neat solution that lifts the cable over the pavement through the air, so people can walk underneath while the car charges. After use the arm simply retracts.
Ways to cover a charging cable
If a charging cable is laid in a public space, you as the user are responsible for any damage. So it matters that the cable is covered properly, to prevent damage or injury. There are several ways to run it safely to the car.
- A cable ramp, with a channel through it, protects cables where traffic passes.
- A cable channel slab, a paving slab with a groove covered by a rubber flap, is set into the pavement and carries a resident's charging cable.
- A cable bridge protects cables, hoses and pipes from people and vehicles, and stops anyone tripping over a loose cable.
Ask your council what is possible. Our advisers can tell you more, about the length of the charging cable among other things. There are also different types of charging station.
Charging at home after all?
Charging at home gives you freedom, because you decide when your car charges. A public charging point is an alternative in a pinch, but charging at home stays considerably cheaper: on average you pay 20 to 30 cents per kWh more at a public point. Dijkman offers both the TeltoCharge and the Alfen charging station, both of them a smart choice that makes charging at home simpler and cheaper. One of our advisers will happily look at the options with you.
Smart charging with Max
Smart energy management for your charging station? Discover Max. With Max, our energy expert, you are set for a carefree, well-tuned energy experience, looked after personally by Max.
Read more about Max
Want to know more about a charging cable across the pavement?
Then request a consultation with Ruben.
Ruben is an adviser at Dijkman Zonne-energie and is happy to answer all your questions about charging cables. A consultation can be online, by phone or at your home.
More about charging stations
Load balancing for your charging station: all you need to know
What is load balancing? Why is it sensible in a charging station, and is it required? Read all about it in this blog.
Read more
Types of charging stations: which one should you choose?
In this blog we explain which types of charging stations there are and which features suit your situation best.
Read more