BT Group has unveiled a revolutionary free electric vehicle charger that is powered from a street cabinet, making it a first of its kind.
The charger will use power from the BT Group-owned cabinet which had previously been used to store broadband and phone cabling but more will now be transformed.
The first charger has been installed in East Lothian, Scotland, on a trial basis for residents who will be able to charge for free until May 31.
The pilot scheme will then move on to West Yorkshire, with BT hoping to set up 600 trial sites across the UK.
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BT is looking to expand the trial to 600 sites
GETTY/BT GROUP
Electric car drivers in the area can access the chargepoint by downloading the trial app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Through the app, zero emission vehicle owners can get live updates on battery levels, smart estimated costs and charge times, as well as access their charging history.
The trial aims to add more EV chargepoints across Scotland, which currently has just over 5,000 public chargers.
However, through the use of street cabinets, BT can add up to 4,800 more charging points and increase demand throughout the country.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport in 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.
“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.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing more partnerships working like this as we continue to help people in Scotland to make greener transport choices.”
Norman Hampshire, East Lothian Council Leader, added that trailing cables would not get in the way of pedestrians and others using the pavement.
Meanwhile, Tom Guy, managing director of Etc, under the BT Group umbrella, explained that research found that 78 per cent of petrol and diesel drivers see not being able to conveniently charge an EV as a “key barrier” to purchasing one.
To address this concern, Guy stated that the trials present a “unique opportunity” to tap into existing assets and drive electrification in the UK.
He added: “It’s critical that we start looking at existing infrastructure to drive innovation at speed.”
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BT hopes to add 4,800 more charging points in the future
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There are over 100,000 residents in the East Lothian area and roughly 200 public chargers installed by the council available to drivers.
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