Getting your electric car as close to a charging station as possible is not always as easy as you think. If you have to park your car along the sidewalk due to a lack of space on your own property, you immediately have a problem. Where do you put the charging cable that runs between the car and the charging station? Can the charging cable be laid over the sidewalk during charging? The answer is no, but that is not the end of the story. Below you will find all the information you need about charging cables that are laid over the sidewalk or ground.
Charging cable over the sidewalk: two completely different situations
When it comes to what is allowed and what is not, there are roughly two different situations. On your own land, you are allowed to lay cables on the ground anywhere, since it is your own land. If it is public land, then this is of course not allowed. Cables that are on the ground can cause dangerous situations, since people can trip over the cables. What is often forgotten is that the cables can also be a nuisance for elderly people who cannot get over the cables with a wheelchair or walker.
On your own property, you can decide for yourself whether to let the charging cables run over the pavement and the ground, but the question is whether it is wise to let the cables run over the pavement. This mainly concerns the lifespan of the charging cable, but also the connection points on the car and the connections on the charging point.
Laying charging cables on the ground is not the best option
It is almost inevitable that someone will step on the charging cable at least once. Although the high-quality charging cables in our range are perfectly resistant to this, this does not mean that repeatedly driving and walking over the charging cables is beneficial for the lifespan of the charging cables. On the contrary, because every unusual contact (especially heavy pressure on the cable) causes wear to the cables and housing.
And then we haven't even mentioned tripping over cables. That can be unpleasant for the person who falls, but we would like to draw some extra attention to the electric car and the charging point itself. The moment someone trips over a cable lying on the pavement, at least one of the plugs will experience a jerking movement. In the best case, the plug will shoot straight out of the socket. In a worse case, the charging socket on the car or charging station will also be hit, which can damage it.
Are you allowed to simply lay a charging cable over the pavement outside your own property?
No. In the Netherlands, it is by definition not permitted to lay loose cables over the pavement or ground in public spaces. This is due to the inconvenience and risks that this entails. There are now numerous solutions for this, such as charging arms, cable ducts and cable mats. With all these solutions, there is no hindrance, inconvenience or unnecessary danger in public spaces, which means that charging your electric car in this way is sometimes possible.
Unfortunately, there is no national policy regarding the processing of cables. In some municipalities, you will get nothing when you ask for permission to place cables with a cable duct or cable mats. In other municipalities, people are sent directly to lay special cable tiles, so that you can easily and safely lay your charging cable over the pavement.
Since there is no national policy and the policy per municipality itself can also differ per week, we strongly advise you to first contact the municipality. Do you want to charge your electric car that can only be parked in public spaces, while you want to install a charging point on your own property? Then ask permission to lay a charging cable over the pavement and immediately indicate that you want to work with a cable duct or cable mat to achieve a safe, practical solution. This will significantly increase the chance of success when submitting your application to the municipality in which you live?
What is the best way to resolve this situation?
In the best case, you can prevent the charging cable from having to cross public land, but for that you must be able to park the electric car on your own driveway or land near your own charging station or charging point. If this is not possible, it is a good idea to look at the options you have. One of the first options is to inquire with the municipality. Here you can check whether the municipality plans to install public charging stations in your area. Often this is not possible in the short term and you are still stuck with applying for a permit to lay the charging cable over the pavement and conceal it with a cable duct or cable mat (although there are municipalities that can help with this).
Have you received a permit? Then make sure that you choose a longer charging cable that is of a particularly high quality, so that you can simply leave it there once this charging cable is on the pavement. If you order your new charging cable before 5:00 PM, we will ensure that it is sent the same day and that you can soon charge optimally.
