The BT Group has introduced its first electric vehicle (EV) charging unit.
The new units, which have been assembled using repurposed street cabinets typically used for broadband and phone cabling, are the first of a potential wave of 60,000 new units across the United Kingdom.
The first trial unit is set to be installed in Scotland over the next month, with further trial boxes set to be rolled out over the next year.
Existing street cabinets are fitted with a device that enables renewable energy to be directed to a charging point whilst still maintaining a broadband connection, negating the need for any new equipment or installations. Once a cabinet is no longer in use, the broadband technology within is recycled and additional EV charging points can be added.
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.
The initiative was recently commended at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, being awarded an Innovation Honoree for 2024.
