BT has started a trial which looks to convert existing street cabinets traditionally used to store broadband and telephone cabling into electric vehicle chargepoints.
The pilot, which starts with an initial unit created in East Lothian, Scotland, could see as many as 60,000 cabinets upgraded to help provide more widespread charging to electric vehicle drivers.
The scheme will look at how the repurposing of ‘existing street furniture’ could help to increase the number of on-street chargers available to EV drivers. Undertaken by Etc, the startup and digital incubation arm of BT Group, the trials will take into account a number of considerations including technical, civic planning and commercial possibilities.
These considerations will also look at whether the process would continue as a solely BT Group venture, or if other charging providers could be brought into the fold.
Tom Guy, chief executive of Etc at BT Group says “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.”
“This is a key step in our mission to build products and services right now that work for the future, with positive transformation at the heart.”
The process works by retrofitting the cabinets with an electric vehicle chargepoint alongside existing broadband connections without the need for any additional power upgrades. It also means that the cabinets can still be upgraded to incorporate a charging point even if they’re still in use for broadband connections. Of course, chargers can also be easily installed into cabinets which are about to be decommissioned, too.