Telecommunications giant BT Group has installed its first electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint which has been converted from a street telecoms cabinet.
The charger will be free of charge to the public as part of a nationwide pilot unveiled in August 2023 to address the shortfall in public EV charging infrastructure.
The company’s start-up incubation hub, Etc., has developed this scheme, which converts BT Group-owned cabinets traditionally used to store broadband and phone cabling into publicly accessible EV chargepoints.
The first charger has been installed for local residents in East Lothian, Scotland. As part of the pilot, drivers will be able to charge their electric vehicles at no cost until 31 May.
The pilot will focus next on West Yorkshire, with ambitions to scale up to 600 trial sites across the UK. Once the scheme is fully operational, the group aims to convert 60,000 street cabinets.
EV owners can use the trial app to connect their EVs and 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 upgrades in Scotland to meet increasing demand.
Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for transport at the Scottish Government, said: “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.”
Tom Guy, managing director, Etc., BT Group, says: “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.”
