Moray Council approves pavement groove policy for residential EV charging cables
By Eve
Moray Council in Scotland has adopted a policy allowing cable grooves to be cut into pavements, enabling residents without off-road parking to charge electric vehicles at home without creating trip hazards. Councillor Draeyk van der Horn, who proposed the motion in 2024, noted that around 30 per cent of Moray households lack off-road parking. Installation costs fall to homeowners or service providers, though the Scottish Government's Energy Savings Trust offers a cross pavement charging grant to support uptake.
Why it matters
The policy opens a regulated pathway for residential charge point installations in areas where roughly a third of homes have no driveway access, potentially expanding the addressable market for domestic charger suppliers and installers. Standardised kerb markings under review may also clarify site suitability and reduce conflicts over pavement space.
Source
- Original title
- “Councillor supports grooves cut in pavements for electric vehicle chargers”
- Published
- 14 September 2026
- Updated
- 15 September 2026
In this story
- Topic
- EV Charging
- Place
- United Kingdom
Related news
Los Alamos County to open new DC fast charging stations at Mesa Public Library with ribbon cutting on 2 November
Los Alamos County has invited the community to a ribbon cutting ceremony on 2 November marking the opening of new Direct Current (DC) fast charging stations in the Mesa Public Library parking lot. The project was funded in part by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT). County Sustainability Manager Angelica V. Gurule described the stations as a step toward expanding public EV charging infrastructure and supporting more sustainable transport in the community.
Why it matters
This is another example of state transport funding supporting municipal DC fast charging at public civic sites, a route that can open opportunities for CPOs and installers working with local authorities. The announcement gives no figures on charger count, power output or funding value, so those details would need to be confirmed directly.
InstaVolt agrees national framework with Whitbread to bring ultra-rapid charging to Premier Inn sites
InstaVolt has agreed a national framework with Whitbread PLC, owner of Premier Inn, to build a pipeline of new ultra-rapid charging at well-located Premier Inn sites across the UK. Premier Inn has more than 845 hotels across the UK and Ireland. Earlier this year InstaVolt agreed to acquire 228 GeniePoint locations from Equans, comprising more than 260 chargers, including more than 100 locations associated with the Whitbread estate, and it plans to upgrade existing charging at Premier Inn sites with ultra-rapid hardware, enhanced grid connections where required and improved signage.
Why it matters
A national framework with the UK's largest hotel brand shows how a CPO can secure a repeatable host-site pipeline rather than negotiating site by site, building on an acquired footprint. Competing operators and landlords should note the pairing of hospitality dwell time with ultra-rapid upgrades of inherited charging assets.
Blink Charging renames itself Blink Energy as it expands into energy management and battery storage
Blink Charging is changing its name to Blink Energy to reflect a move into energy management and battery energy storage, according to a report posted on 30 October 2026. The company operates more than 48,000 networked EV chargers worldwide, and its EnergyConnect platform is deployed at 52 Blink-owned DC fast charging sites, 26 of which use load management. Early utility billing data shows billed peak demand falling 23% at one site within the first month, and Blink plans to roll EnergyConnect out to customers in the US and Europe.
Why it matters
A large charger network operator is now packaging load management and storage as a product, which gives site hosts and CPOs another route to add chargers within existing electrical capacity and to cut demand charges. Buyers should treat the 23% figure as a single-site early result and ask for broader performance data when comparing vendors.