U.K. Hopes Telecom Street Furniture Could Double Charge Points

A British telecoms company is converting old street cable storage cabinets into battery-electric-vehicle charging points in a bid to accelerate the nation’s charging infrastructure.

British Telecom’s start-up digital incubation wing, Etc., hopes to upgrade more than 60,000 steel cabinets no longer required for cabling following the rollout of glass-fiber broadband and telecoms technology.

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. Vehicle 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 the broadband equipment is recycled and BEV charge points can be added. The company says this allows reuse of existing infrastructure while deploying more charge points at pace. 

Etc. is trialing the scheme in a series of pilots to help remove one of the major barriers to consumers making the switch to BEVs. Its project has the potential to more than double the estimated 53,000 public charge points currently on U.K. streets. The digital unit has announced its first installation location is in East Lothian, Scotland, with further pilots to roll out across the nation in the coming months. 

Through the trials, Etc. will explore a range of technical, commercial and operational considerations including:

Tom Guy, managing director, Etc. at BT Group, says: “Our new charging solution is a huge step in bringing EV charging curbside and exploring how we can address key barriers customers are currently facing. 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.”