BT Group is powering up its first EV charging unit built from an old green street cabinet. The cabinets, traditionally used to store broadband and phone cabling, are now coming to the end of their useful lives but are being reborn as street EV charging points.

The announcement marks the first step in the rollout of new technical trials, exploring the potential to upgrade up to 60,0002 cabinets to help meet the Government’s target to increase the number of charge points from 53,000 today to 300,000 by 2030.

Etc, BT’s innovation unit, has announced its first installation location in East Lothian, Scotland, with further pilots to roll out across the UK in the coming months.

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. EV 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 for broadband, as nationwide full fibre rollout progresses, the broadband equipment is recycled, and additional EV charge points can be added. This allows re-use of existing infrastructure while deploying more charge points at pace.

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