ChinaAutoInfo

IT Home reported on January 18th, according to the UK's The Guardian on the 16th, BT has decided to abandon its plan to convert street green cabinets into electric vehicle charging piles after only successfully installing one charging station.

BT had hoped to use existing power connections to install charging facilities for signal cabinets that usually house telephone and broadband equipment, thereby quickly enhancing charging infrastructure coverage. However, the company will close its only charging point located in East Lothian, Scotland.

BT had stated in 2023 that out of approximately 90,000 signal cabinets in the UK, up to 60,000 could be used for electric vehicle charging. If the plan had been successfully implemented, it could have provided significant support for the UK government's goal of achieving 300,000 public charging piles to address the increasing demand for electric vehicles.

The number of public charging piles in the UK has been growing rapidly every year, with a record 19,600 charging piles installed in 2024, an increase of one-third compared to 2023.

However, the pace of growth has slowed due to government funding delays and the severe economic situation faced by charging station operators. Companies raising funds for charging infrastructure have been under pressure from high interest rates, and investor confidence has also declined with the stagnation of electric vehicle sales.

BT's plan, managed by its digital startup unit Etc, aimed to solve a challenge faced by charging station companies - how to connect charging piles to the power grid. In the pilot phase, electric vehicles did not connect directly to the signal cabinets but charged through independent charging piles several feet away.

A BT group spokesperson stated that although the plan did not unfold as expected, the company has gained valuable experience in charging and identified some challenges faced by electric vehicle drivers when charging on the street. In the future, BT will shift to providing Wi-Fi connection services through these cabinets.

As previously reported by IT Home, Vishal Kaduthodil, Senior Product Manager at Etc, explained when announcing the plan: 'These cabinets currently provide broadband services for every home, but the technology they use is too outdated. As nationwide full-fiber broadband advances, they will gradually be phased out.' 'Since they are already connected to power, this can greatly reduce the need for new power connection facilities, thereby increasing deployment speed.'