BT’s digital incubator has unveiled its first electric vehicle charging units based on repurposed street cabinets previously used for telecoms cables.
Etc will power up its first installation in East Lothian as part of a series of pilots planned for the whole of the UK to support electric vehicle connectivity.
The unit is exploring the potential to upgrade up to 60,000 cabinets to help meet government sustainability targets and decarbonise the transport system in the UK.
Developed to help solve EV charging infrastructure needs by repurposing existing street furniture, the pilots will explore how this solution could be scaled to address the lack of chargers on UK roads.
With new BT Group research showing that more than a third (38%) would have an EV already if charging were less of an issue, and with only 53,000 public EV charge points currently on UK roads, the pilot marks an important step in the journey to net-zero.
Tom Guy, managing director, Etc. at BT Group, said: “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.”