Need to plug in an EV? BT Group kicks off cabinet update pilot
- Reference: 1704706210
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/01/08/need_to_plug_in_an/
- Source link:
The first installation location will be in East Lothian, Scotland.
The plan is to retrofit existing cabinets, currently used for providing broadband to households. These are set to be decommissioned during the full-fibre roll-out.
[2]
Since they are already hooked up to a power source, the thinking is that engineers can retrofit a device to split the existing power supply, meaning that the current broadband can keep running, and a new charge point can be made available. A battery backup will mean that households shouldn't experience any disruption during installation.
[3]
[4]
The power supply itself comes from renewable energy, we're told.
Once the cabinet is no longer needed for broadband as the full fiber rollout continues, the kit can be recycled, and more charge points can be added.
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BT Group currently has 90,000 green cabinets squatting on streets around the UK. It is estimated that around 60,000 could be repurposed to add much-needed charge points. The UK government hopes to increase the number of charge points in the UK to 300,000 by the 2030s, and using those cabinets will help toward that goal.
According to BT Group, 60 percent of people think the UK's EV charging infrastructure is inadequate. A surprising figure – this hack is an EV driver and doesn't know any fellow electric jalopy fans that would describe the current situation in the UK as anything other than pisspoor. A further 78 percent of petrol and diesel drivers regard being unable to conveniently charge an EV as a barrier to getting one.
The pilot is laudable, but judging by the glossy promotional video, only Type 2 connectors capable of delivering 7kW are on the cards. These are the most common charger types, but you can expect to spend several hours before an EV's battery is refilled. We asked BT Group if this was indeed the case, and will update if we receive a response.
[6]New cars bought in the UK must be zero emission by 2035 – it's the law
[7]Japan's Rohm, Toshiba grab $900M in subsidies to boost power semi production
[8]Post-Brexit tariffs on EU-UK electric vehicle imports staved off for three years
[9]Car dealers openly beg Biden to put brakes on electric vehicle drive
Cost and maintenance are also an issue. EVs make sense if you can charge at home and take advantage of low domestic tariffs. Unwary drivers might find themselves on the receiving end of an unexpected bill when using public charge points. BT Group also failed to spell out who would be responsible for maintaining the charge point. Updating an old cabinet is all well and good, but ultimately pointless if the charge point malfunctions and cannot be used.
Overall, the plan sounds like a good one. Much like popping charge points on lamp posts, the infrastructure is there, and there is the potential for re-use. However, questions over cost and maintenance must be answered before the requirement for 100 percent of all new vehicles to be zero emission in the UK arrives in [10]2035 . ®
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[1] https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-group-to-launch-electric-vehicle-charging-pilots/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZZvV1xEIf6kVi0iAxoM1ogAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZZvV1xEIf6kVi0iAxoM1ogAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZZvV1xEIf6kVi0iAxoM1ogAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZZvV1xEIf6kVi0iAxoM1ogAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/04/new_cars_ev_2035/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/10/rohm_toshiba_japan/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/07/brexit_car_tariffs/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/29/ev_car_dealers_biden/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/04/new_cars_ev_2035/
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: From what I can recall ....
Yup and lots I see are at the start of roads on corners.
Re: From what I can recall ....
That is definitely the case where I live, probably because the cables can run in three directions from the cabinet. You definitely wouldn't be able to leave your car there to charge.
"Cost and maintenance are also an issue"
Given that these are likely to be 7 kW (slow) chargers, the biggest problem will be obstruction of traffic, as many of these cabinets are sited in places where parking would be a real nuisance to other vehicles. When they just serve telecoms, this is not a consideration, but it will be.
Re: "Cost and maintenance are also an issue"
>>> Given that these are likely to be 7 kW (slow) chargers, the biggest problem will be obstruction of traffic, as many of these cabinets are sited in places where parking would be a real nuisance to other vehicles. When they just serve telecoms, this is not a consideration, but it will be.
IIRC many of these cabinets have notices on them prohibiting parking nearby as "24 hour access required".
Re: "Cost and maintenance are also an issue"
All of the issues will presumably be considered, and where they can't be addressed then those cabinets get dropped.
Slowly the list of locations will be whittled down to those where its practicable, which could be less than third of the total number of FTTC cabinets. This could help a few people, but it's only a tiny, tiny part of the problem of building public charging infrastructure after government have committed the country to an ideal, without developing any costings or practical implementation strategy.
"comes from renewable energy, we're told"
Well of course we're told that. You don't think that they're going to admit that it's that coal furnace nearby that is going to charge the carbon-emission-free focus of greenies everywhere, now do you ?
No, those dirty coal plants (of which more are being built, thanks Germany) only provide leccy to other things, their electrons are prohibited by public moral from entering the sanctity of an EV.
Yeah, sure. Pull the other one.
Re: "comes from renewable energy, we're told"
Germany is pulling old coal plants out of reserve, rather than building new, but the swing in German coal capacity of less than 2 GW of lignite reactivated rather pales into insignificance compared to China who have around 250 GW of new coal either under construction or approved for build, and India has committed to adding at least 80 GW by 2031.
You have to wonder what they know that we don't.
7kW
If this is a 7kW charger, you will probably have to apply for council tax as a resident of that charging space.
Re: 7kW
Council tax applies to residential properties, so that doesn't apply. Business rates are what organisations pay, but EV charging points have an exemption from business rates at least until 2035 (when government will then tax them to the hilt).
Re: 7kW
I think the joke was that the speed it charges meant you'll be spending a lot of time there. 7kW great for overnight charging (or big shop, cinema, etc) but not fast.
Another of Baldrick's "Cunning Plans"
The one Blackadder series never made was Boxwallah Blackadder Bets on the Raj.
Pisspoor was the british administrative capital of the Raj then? Their belvedere is now a common term for a pessimistic outcome.
Blocked streets and thick cables strewn about the foot paths - what could go wrong?
Do these cabinets currently even have 7kW supplied to them? 30A at 240V? or is it 240V three phase?
I have the impression that the UK government and much else in the UK couldn't organise a cup of tea in a bordelllo let alone the proverbial. Blackadder and the Prince Regent could do a better job - even Baldrick had more talent the current ministry.
Re: Another of Baldrick's "Cunning Plans"
Blocked streets and thick cables strewn about the foot paths - what could go wrong?
Erm, not that much:
https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-group-pilot-powers-up-first-ev-charger-repurposed-from-street-cabinet/
I have to agree though that the UK government are incompetent. The whole EV plan appears to have been dreamt up by humanities graduates who understand very little other than what George Monbiot tells them to think.
How many watts does the kit in a street cabinet require?
I've no idea, but I'm pretty sure it is not a number that makes 7200 look like an insignificant addition.
Likewise, a typical residental lamp post was designed for a 50W sodium lamp, and will likely have a 35W LED replacement in there. The 15W left over will be enough to charge a phone, not a car.
From what I can recall ....
..... all of the BT cabinets that I remember seeing are all set back from the road. This means it will be necessary to trail cables across the pedestrian pathway to get to the cars being charged. Pretty much the same problem that means it's difficult for most people to charge their EV at home.