43% of UK households <a href="https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/parking-review/news/66621/a-third-of-uk-homeowners-don-t-have-a-driveway-or-garage-to-install-a-home-chargepoint/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">don&rsquo;t have access to off-street parking</a>. Most strikingly, this rises to around 60% of homeowners in major towns and cities - the area where electric cars are most effective. If you&rsquo;re looking to buy an electric car, but your house doesn't have a driveway or garage, you might be worried about the practicality of home charging.
Read on to find out how you can charge an electric car without a driveway, including several innovative home charging solutions.
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<h2>Can You Lay the Charging Cable Across the Pavement?</h2>
Many councils advise against laying an electric car charging cable across the pavement. While it may be tempting to do so, you will be under direct legal responsibility if someone trips on it and injures themselves. This can lead to large sums of compensation for damages caused.
Wheelchair users and people with pushchairs already struggle to navigate the wheelie bins, recycling boxes, bikes and parked cars that clutter pavements - and charging cables add another hazard.
In short, laying a charging cable across the pavement is not a good idea.
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<h2>So, How Do I Charge an Electric Car Without a Driveway?</h2>
Companies are developing many innovative solutions to help with the issue of charging an electric car in urban areas. Here are a few that are currently available in certain areas and may be rolled out more widely in years to come:
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<h3>Lamppost Charging</h3>
This is a fairly new solution that is rapidly growing in popularity. Check your local council&rsquo;s website to see if there are any lamppost chargers where you live.
The UK is seeking to lower lamppost power consumption by installing LED bulbs. This leaves them with spare capacity which can be used to charge electric cars. Companies such as <a href="https://cityev.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City EV</a> and <a href="https://www.rolecserv.com/ev-charging/product/EV-Charging-Street-Light" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolec StreetCharge</a> are making use of this capacity by providing smart cables and charge points within urban areas, such as Brighton and London. You may be able to reserve a spot or make use of shared facilities to charge your electric car without a driveway.
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<h3>Cable Gulleys &amp; EV Charge Channel</h3>
While you shouldn't lay charging cables across the pavement there are ways to avoid the street altogether. In August 2021, Oxford council trialled the<a href="https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/1956/volunteers_sought_for_electric_vehicle_charging_trials_in_oxfordshire" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Ox Gul-e project.</a> This used drainage gulleys attached to terraced houses to lay a temporary cable between the house and the road. This was proven to be a safe, effective way to charge an EV and has led to the hope of a wider pilot scheme soon.
Similarly, the <a href="https://green-mole.co.uk/ev-charging-for-terraced-households/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charge Channels</a> run underneath the pavement and provide a safe route for a charging cable to connect with the car. It was developed by GreenMole, in conjunction with the University of Salford and Liverpool John Moores University. As long as you can find a parking spot outside your house, you&rsquo;ll be able to charge your EV every night.
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<h3>Electricity Delivery Service</h3>
<a href="https://chargefairy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charge Fairy</a> brings battery packs to you and charges your car overnight. Their electric vans will come to your location and recharge your car, using your usage data to predict when you need your next charge. Most conveniently, you don&rsquo;t have to contact them to arrange the charge!&nbsp;
The only downside with their service is the cost: &pound;5.99 a week for an initial 10kWh and then 49p per/kWh afterwards. This is expensive, even when compared to public charging points.
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<h2>How Do I Charge My Electric Car if None of These Options Are Available Where I Live?</h2>
These are not widespread solutions. Currently, the easiest way to charge an electric car at home is to use a wall-mounted charger, which is impractical without a driveway. If you're looking to buy an electric car now, here is how you can keep it fully charged if you use on-street parking:
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<h3>Using the Public Charging Network</h3>
While this can be more expensive than home charging, it is still cheaper than the cost of petrol and diesel. What&rsquo;s more, you can shop around to find the cheapest charge rates near you or sign up to a membership system, such as <a href="https://network.bppulse.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PolarPlus</a>. An electric car will go from 20% to 80% in 50 minutes, using a 50kW Rapid charger (on average). This means you can get a good level of charge in your car while you do the weekly food shop.
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<h3>Charger-sharing</h3>
If you know friends, family or neighbours that own an electric car and a driveway, they may let you share their charging point. There are also plenty of co-op services, such as <a href="https://co-charger.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Co-Charger</a>, <a href="https://www.justpark.com/ev/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just Park</a> and <a href="https://www.plugshare.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plug-Share.</a> These allow people with home chargers to share their plugs with the public. You may be able to find one near you that's free to use or have to pay a small fee.
You may also be able to charge your electric car for free in certain locations.
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<h2>Are There Any Free Electric Car Charging Points Near Me?</h2>
There are thousands of free charging points in the UK. You can find them mostly in public car parks, supermarkets, shopping centres and at some hotels and service stations. You may have to purchase something in-store to use these free charging points, or only use them for a set period of time.
To find your nearest free electric car charging point, install a free smartphone app such as <a href="https://www.zap-map.com/live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zap-Maps</a>. This includes a UK-wide charging map, route planner and in-app payment options for electric car charging.
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<h2>Read More</h2>
<h3><a href="https://bookmygarage.com/electric-vehicles/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-electric-car/">How Long Does it Take to Charge an Electric Car?</a></h3>
Charging times vary depending on which charge point you use. This article covers how long it takes to charge an electric car at home and at public charging points, as well as the average charging time for Slow, Fast, Rapid and Ultra-Rapid charge points.
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<h3><a href="https://bookmygarage.com/electric-vehicles/how-much-does-it-cost-to-charge-an-electric-car/">How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Car?</a></h3>
The price of charging an electric car varies depending on where you plug yours in. If you&rsquo;re looking to buy an EV, you want to know that you can afford to recharge it as often as you need. Find out how much it costs to charge an electric car at home and at public charging points here.
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How to Charge an Electric Car Without a Driveway

43% of UK households don’t have access to off-street parking. That can put people off electric cars. Here’s how home charging works if you don’t have a driveway

How to Charge an Electric Car at Home Without a Driveway

Excellent MOT service, friendly staff with great communication. Will definitely return!

Friendly, speedy service

It would be helpful if a call could me to made with an update on whether the car is ready for collection.

As like previous, the service & comms were excellent!
Always nice for a car to pass an MOT however the service and the non-pushy recommendations were well recieved.
I shall use again!

Can I Charge an Electric Car at Home If I Don't Have a Driveway?

Find Out How to Charge Your Electric Car at Home Without a Driveway