BT Group has announced the installation of its first EV charge point powered by a repurposed street cabinet.
The innovative EV charge point is being trialled in Scotland and is fuelled by a street cabinet owned by the BT Group that was previously used for broadband and phone cable storage.
The initiative is part of a nationwide pilot by the business’ start-up incubation hub Etc. to address the shortfall in UK charging infrastructure.
With only 5,052 public EV chargers in Scotland, the trial has identified 4,800 street cabinets that could be modified to meet growing EV demand.
Where is the street cabinet EV charger being trialled?
The first charger is located in East Lothian, Scotland, where local residents will be able to use the EV charge point for free until May 31.
Following this, the trial will move to West Yorkshire, with BT Group planning to scale up to 600 trial sites across the UK.
Tom Guy, Managing Director, Etc., BT Group, explained: “With our research showing that 78% of petrol and diesel drivers see not being able to conveniently charge an EV as a key 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.”
How does the charger work?
Motorists can use the EV chargepoint by downloading the trial app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
The Etc. team, in collaboration with EV drivers, has developed the app tailored to their needs.
It provides access to EV chargers nationwide with real-time pricing, availability, and charge speed.
Users can start, stop, and monitor charge sessions, as well as filter by connector type and kW speed.
EV owners can link their vehicles to the app for live updates on battery levels, estimated costs, and charge times, as well as access their charging history.
BT Group will conduct pilot tests to evaluate various aspects, including digital customer experience, technology choices, planning, local engagement, operational, and commercial options.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport at the Scottish Government, added: “This is an exciting and innovative development in the provision of electric vehicle charging, so I’m really pleased that the first trial in the UK is taking place in East Lothian.
“This government is committed to supporting people to make the switch from petrol and diesel vehicles, and our vision for Scotland’s future public EV charging network highlights the need for private sector finance and delivery to build on our significant investment in the network to date.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing more partnerships working like this as we continue to help people in Scotland to make greener transport choices.”
