
BT to use street cabinets as EV chargers
BT is aiming to reuse its street cabinets as EV charge points, with the first in a pilot scheme being installed later this month.
Up to 60,000 aging street cabinets could be used in this way, tackling the current national shortfall in EV charging infrastructure
The development by Etc, the startup and digital incubation arm at BT Group, uses a street cabinet traditionally used to store broadband and phone cabling as the first step in the rollout of new technical trials.
Through the trials, Etc. will scope a range of different technical, commercial and operational considerations with bringing this EV charge point network online, including the cabinet location, power availability, customer accessibility, digital customer experience and engineering considerations as well as the location, local council engagement, permissions and physical accessibility.
The charging solution works by retrofitting the cabinets with a device that enables renewable energy to be shared to a charge point alongside the existing broadband service with no need to create a new power connection. EV charging can be deployed to cabinets that are in-use for current copper broadband services, or in those due for retirement, depending on the space and power available to the unit. Once the cabinet is no longer needed for broadband, as nationwide full fibre rollout progresses, the broadband equipment is recycled, and additional EV charge points can be added. This allows re-use of existing infrastructure while deploying more charge points at pace.
The installation of EV chargers is growing rapidly, with UK government plans to increase the number of charge points from 53,000 today to 300,000 by 2030.
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“At Versinetic, we recognise the necessity of a robust and widespread charging network to support the transition to electric vehicles, and this project, though commendable, underscores the need for more direct and substantial action from governmental bodies,” said Dunstan Power, director of electric vehicle charging design consultancy Versinetic.
“The reliance on private sector ingenuity to fill gaps in the charging infrastructure, while valuable, should not overshadow the government’s role in spearheading and accelerating the development of such essential services,” he said.
“The current pace and scale of the rollout, as evidenced by the need for such stopgap solutions, suggest a shortfall in addressing the urgency of the EV revolution. It’s imperative for the government to take more decisive and ambitious steps to ensure that the UK’s charging network meets the growing demand and supports the country’s environmental goals.”
“Our new charging solution is a huge step in bringing EV charging kerbside and exploring how we can address key barriers customers are currently facing. Working closely with local councils in Scotland and more widely across the UK, we are at a critical stage of our journey in tackling a very real customer problem that sits at the heart of our wider purpose to connect for good,” said Tom Guy, Managing Director, Etc. at BT Group.
www.bt.com; www.versinetic.com
