BT Group has installed its first EV charge point powered from a street cabinet, marking the first phase of trials which could lead to the wider upgrade of cabinet units across the UK.
The charger, which is powered by a BT Group owned cabinet traditionally used to store broadband and phone cabling, forms part of a nationwide pilot by the business’ start-up incubation hub Etc., designed to address the shortfall in public EV charging infrastructure.
The first charger has been installed in East Lothian, Scotland, for use by local residents, who will be able to charge their electric vehicles at no cost until 31st May as part of the pilot. The pilot will focus next on West Yorkshire, with ambitions to scale up to 600 trial sites across the UK. EV drivers can use the charge point with ease by downloading the trial app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
The app is designed and developed by the Etc. team in conjunction with EV drivers and includes the features they most want to see, such as visibility of EV chargers across the UK, alongside real-time pricing, availability and charge speed, the ability to start, stop and monitor charge sessions via the app and to filter by connector type, kW speed and charging network.
EV owners can connect their EV to the app to get live updates on battery levels, smart estimated costs and charge times, and access their charging history. Throughout the pilots Etc. at BT Group will test elements ranging from the digital customer experience to engineering and technology choices, planning and local engagement, operational and commercial options. Where Zapmap data predicts that there are currently just 5,052 public EV chargers in Scotland, Etc. has identified up to 4,800 street cabinets that could be used for potential upgrade in Scotland to meet increasing demand.
Tom Guy, Managing Director, Etc., BT Group
With our research showing that 78% of petrol and diesel drivers see not being able to conveniently charge an EV as a key a barrier to purchasing one, and the UK behind government-set sustainability targets, it’s critical that we start looking at existing infrastructure to drive innovation at speed. These trials present a unique opportunity to tap into existing assets to drive the important transition to electrification in the UK, and we’re proud to be working with local councils in East Lothian and more widely across the UK at this critical stage to play our part.
