Beginning in the summer, the trial will test a ‘cross pavement gully’ solution. These are narrow channels installed in the pavement that allow a charging cable to run safely from a home charge point to an EV parked on the street. The household would need to cover the cost of installing the channel, but the council would license the work on the pavement and organise them.

The aim is to understand whether this approach can make home charging possible without creating trip hazards, obstructing the pavement, or impacting other pavement users.

This trial has been designed to understand how this type of solution could work safely, conveniently, and fairly in Bristol, and to develop a process for any future use of this technology. As this is a controlled trial, residents cannot ask private companies to install these channels, and it does not include a reserved parking space on the public highway.

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “With transport making up around 34 per cent of the average Bristol resident’s carbon footprint, and private car use a big part of that, we need to give people more realistic ways to switch to low emission vehicles. “For many households, not having a driveway makes home charging difficult or unsafe. This trial will help us work with residents who are interested in helping us to understand whether cross-pavement solutions can work well for Bristol and the process for how it could be rolled out. This is all part of our ambition to become carbon-neutral and climate-resilient as a city.”

Residents interested in taking part in the trial can submit an expression of interest at Cross-Pavement Gully Charging Trial – Expression of Interest – Bristol City Leap.

The trial will run from August 2026 to June 2027, with gully solutions being installed in batches.

Monitoring and evaluation will feed into a report that will help shape the council’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy.

The project is being delivered by Ameresco as part of the Bristol City Leap partnership, with the trial being run by Bristol City Council.

It follows on from the news that Bristol’s EV charging boosted by 150 new on-street charge points – Bristol City Leap.

The post Applications open for cross-pavement gully EV charging trial appeared first on Bristol City Leap.

The new on-street EV charging points have been installed at the base of upgraded lampposts at sites selected in areas of Bristol where there are low numbers of driveways, to give people without off-street parking access to charging points for their electric vehicles.

Once the charger is installed, it will be available for public use with simple instructions next to the charge point. Detailed instructions on how to use it and the price will be clearly displayed on the Fuuse app, which also includes the locations of the EV charge points.

The lampposts were upgraded last year in preparation for the chargers, which allows the charger installation process to be quick and straightforward, and is usually completed within a few hours.

Works are being delivered in partnership with Ameresco and Bristol City Leap, supporting Bristol’s wider commitment to clean energy, reduced emissions, and improved access to EV charging for residents.

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “The new lamppost chargers are part of Bristol’s ongoing ambition to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and make it easier for residents to switch to low-emission vehicles. Through the Bristol City Leap partnership with Ameresco, the city is investing in accessible, reliable on-street charging to help support these long term goals.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “Green electric buses are already making a difference across the West, cutting pollution and improving journeys – with more on the way. Our new Transport Vision sets out the direction of travel for our region, including increasing the number of chargers to support the growing number of other electric vehicles. These 150 new charging points through lampposts are a useful step forward for people in Bristol as we work together to deliver our wider transport ambitions, with almost £500,000 more funding already secured to enable all of our councils to enhance charging facilities.”

The lamppost chargers are designed to fit into the street environment while providing convenient access for residents, especially those without off-street parking.

The chargers being installed are slow CityEV 3.4kW chargers, designed for overnight use. The new chargers complement the existing network of council and privately owned chargers, which provide fast and rapid charging.

The project is funded by The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Green Recovery Fund and Office For Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) on-street residential charge point scheme (ORCS).

The post Bristol’s EV charging boosted by 150 new on-street charge points appeared first on Bristol City Leap.