Is anyone running a cable across a pavement?

[Max M4X WW]

Hi all,

I think this may have been discussed before but I can't see anything.

To try and keep this short, I've been thinking of buying a Twizy for no real reason other than I find them a bit of a laugh to drive. Problem is, we don't have a drive - just two allocated spaces opposite our house. I had been planning on parking it in the road and running the (small gauge, 13 amp) cable across the pavement inside one of those rubber 'office type' cable ramp things.

Today, our local council has painted double yellows outside our house. Now I want these to be removed anyway but If I wanted to get a Twizy now I'm stuffed!

I assume this must happen in London a fair amount? G-Whiz' etc? I'm just after a few photos of people doing a similar thing, legal opinions etc to show the council!

Thanks, Max

[norush]

Dear Max, yes it'll be fine to run a cable across the pavement; if anyone trips over it and injures themselves, just tell them a bloke on the internet said it would be fine.

[Max M4X WW]

Great humour, but I've seen this done in London and I'm wondering how many people do it.

I appreciate 99% of the users on here are powerfully built and probably have a 5 bed detached with a sweeping driveway, but I don't.

[anonymous-user]

Max M4X WW said:

Great humour, but I've seen this done in London and I'm wondering how many people do it.

I appreciate 99% of the users on here are powerfully built and probably have a 5 bed detached with a sweeping driveway, but I don't.

Tough luck on the house front but it still doesn't make running a 13A cable across the pavement in any way sensible.

[Max M4X WW]

Fine, I must have been mistaken!

[numtumfutunch]

Id be just as worried about people unplugging your car and using the feed to charge up their phones TBH

But you do raise a valid point

How exactly do people charge EV's in big cities assuming most dont have a driveway?

[Max M4X WW]

Charging a phone would be cheaper than the car

I'd only be using it over weekends, and then it would only take a couple of hours to charge and I would only charge whilst at home.

[tumble dryer]

Max M4X WW said:

Charging a phone would be cheaper than the car

I'd only be using it over weekends, and then it would only take a couple of hours to charge and I would only charge whilst at home.

Serious (though given your question, I wonder if you can say), does charging your car make a noticeable difference to your leccy bill?

[gangzoom]

I've used 575 kWh to charge my Leaf over the last 9 months. My electricity costs me 14p/kWh, so that £80 over 9 months, and I've done 5000 miles, so 1.6p per mile - I also use 'free' public chargers when convenient. I can reduce the bill even more by moving to E7 rates, but I'm not spending enough money on charging to do that.

When I vist my parents in London I'm lucky to have off road parking due to them living in an end-terrace with a garage attached - which is like gold dust in any Zone 2/3 property.

Cities in Norway have LOADS of public street sided charging posts, which we simply don't have in the UK. Shame because EVs are prefect for a city like London.

[hman]

Actual question: what will you do if you run out of battery because there's no charge point in range?

[Phunk]

hman said:

Actual question: what will you do if you run out of battery because there's no charge point in range?

Purchase a T2 > 13a adapter


As for charging outside your house, really depends how busy your street is!

I've done it from my 3rd floor flat, but luckily that means the cable doesn't go anywhere near people.

[Camoradi]

Phunk said:

I've done it from my 3rd floor flat, but luckily that means the cable doesn't go anywhere near people.

OP, why not run your 13 amp cable over the pavement above head height, from a upstairs window.

Perhaps make a plastic pole with a base which you place under one of the car wheels to run across to, then down the pole and plug in from there

Problem solved, apart from idiots jumping up and electrocuting themselves, but that solves another problem....

[RickRolled]

Maybe use something like this

https://www.nbbmatting.co.uk/Cable-Covers/Cable-Ma...

[Max M4X WW]

I was thinking about one of these..

https://04646a9cf351cc0d3888-b8b406d15fe93f790abb5...

I think making a pole etc for overhead is a bit OTT for 3-4 hours charging once or twice a week during the summer months.

Thanks for the ideas though!

[squirejo]

Do a bit of googling on this and you'll find that wherever the wishes of local authorities might be (numerous state they "won't allow") your obligation is limited by a duty of care, same as it would be for a builder etc. in other words, if you have taken all reasonable precautions to prevent an accident (ie trip hazard) then no problemmo. So I have now had a 7kw charger installed in the bin store to the front of my house which allows the cable to run across the pavement to the car. Of course I can't guarantee being able to park there but a 10m cable and a charging need only nice a week means its a good solution. I mostly use the source london on street chargers.

[Max M4X WW]

Sounds good. What will you run the cable through or under? Assuming the cable is similar to that of a Leaf I borrowed a while back it must be quite big.

[CATD8H]

squirejo said:

Do a bit of googling on this and you'll find that wherever the wishes of local authorities might be (numerous state they "won't allow") your obligation is limited by a duty of care, same as it would be for a builder etc. in other words, if you have taken all reasonable precautions to prevent an accident (ie trip hazard) then no problemmo. So I have now had a 7kw charger installed in the bin store to the front of my house which allows the cable to run across the pavement to the car. Of course I can't guarantee being able to park there but a 10m cable and a charging need only nice a week means its a good solution. I mostly use the source london on street chargers.

Make sure that your outgoing 240v lead from house is connected via an appropriate RCD plug top or if hard
wired the correctly rated i.e. 6A RCD or even an RCBO in the consumer unit....Don't wish to sound officious
just passing on advice from my own tame sparks.

[dhutch]

Make sure it's RCD'd which is sensible anyway, use a suitable ramp, get on with your life.

Daniel

[squirejo]

CATD8H said:

Make sure that your outgoing 240v lead from house is connected via an appropriate RCD plug top or if hard
wired the correctly rated i.e. 6A RCD or even an RCBO in the consumer unit....Don't wish to sound officious
just passing on advice from my own tame sparks.

all of the above and forgot to say I bought the following mat to cover the cable. I did look at ramps etc, but decided they constituted more of trip hazard or annoyance / obstacle to someone on a wheelchair / pram etc than the may due to their bulk:
http://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/cable-mats

It says it's for interior use but it's a thick rubber mat with a bright edging and nylon carpet and perfect for this job. It rolls up and it's cheap enough to replace every 6mths if necessary.

[chisteve]

Intersting - let us know how you get on I'm in a similar position and thinking of charging overnight