New EV charge point is a UK first
RESIDENTS can charge their electric vehicles at no cost throughout May thanks to a new charge point in Haddington – the first of its kind in the UK.
BT Group has installed its first electric vehicle (EV) charge point powered from one of its old green metal street cabinets, marking the first phase of trials which could eventually see 4,800 BT-owned street cabinets in Scotland converted into charging points.
The charger, which is powered by a BT Group-owned cabinet traditionally used to store broadband and phone cabling, forms part of a nationwide pilot by the business’s start-up incubation hub, Etc., designed to address the shortfall in public EV-charging infrastructure.
The first charger has been installed on Haddington’s Monkmains Road for use by residents, who will be able to charge their electric vehicles at no cost until May 31 as part of the pilot.
Fiona Hyslop MSP, cabinet secretary for transport, who was at the launch, 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, and 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 partnership working like this as we continue to help people in Scotland to make greener transport choices.”
EV drivers can use the charge point by downloading the trial app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
The app is designed and developed by the Etc. team in conjunction with EV drivers.
It includes features such as visibility of EV chargers across the UK, alongside real-time pricing, availability and charge speed, the ability to start, stop and monitor charge sessions via the app and to filter by connector type, kW speed and charging network.
EV owners can connect their EV to the app to get live updates on battery levels, smart estimated costs and charge times, and access their charging history.
Councillor Norman Hampshire, East Lothian Council leader, was at the unveiling last week.
He said: “East Lothian Council has a strong track record of supporting innovative vehicle charging solutions in public places to accelerate the transition to an electric future.
“During the design of this trial, we worked with BT Group to ensure the charger would be fully accessible, and that trailing cables would not get in the way of pedestrians and others using the pavement.
“We are pleased that BT Group is supplementing the wide range of public chargers in East Lothian as this allows the council to focus on its public service role of providing charging options in areas less attractive to commercial operators.
“Use of electric vehicles supports the council’s ambitions to reduce emissions, promote sustainable travel solutions and enhance the local environment.”
Tom Guy, managing director of Etc., BT Group, was happy to see progress being made.
He said: “These trials present a unique opportunity to tap into existing assets to drive the important transition to electrification in the UK, and we’re proud to be working with local councils in East Lothian and more widely across the UK at this critical stage to play our part.”