Old BT Cabinets to become EV chargers…

[Masklin]

Interesting idea to see them repurposed this way, though the article doesn’t suggest what rate of charge they would/could deliver. Hopefully the trial is successful…

BT Group to turn old street cabinets into electric vehicle charging points

Up to 60,000 could be converted to tackle a shortfall in electric car charging points, the group says.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Fred2]

This old document https://assets.elexon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/28163904/08_SVG166_03A_Openreach.pdf (from 2014, so presumably describes the kit that is being repurposed) seems to say that cabinets used to have 100A supplies ( because that’s just what power companies did), but that nearly all cabinets use < 500W
.

As a result they openreach were switching to 25A connections for new ones. If it was one of the older supply ones then from a Lowe point of view, maybe 2 x 7kW chargers (or 3x with some overall load limiting)

 

[Jason71]

Interesting idea to see them repurposed this way, though the article doesn’t suggest what rate of charge they would/could deliver. Hopefully the trial is successful…

BT Group to turn old street cabinets into electric vehicle charging points

Up to 60,000 could be converted to tackle a shortfall in electric car charging points, the group says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Unlike the ones pictured in my experience a lot of them are on the other side of the foot path. you can see one from my house, though I think it is a VM one, and it would requrie the cables to run across the pavement. so unless they put the actual sockets on a pole on the other side I don't think this will work for a lot of the 60K cabinets. cool idea though

 

[Cilonen]

Interesting idea to see them repurposed this way, though the article doesn’t suggest what rate of charge they would/could deliver. Hopefully the trial is successful…

BT Group to turn old street cabinets into electric vehicle charging points

Up to 60,000 could be converted to tackle a shortfall in electric car charging points, the group says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Article I read said all charge points would supply 7.4kW, same as a domestic unit.

 

[Oxid8ter]

Unlike the ones pictured in my experience a lot of them are on the other side of the foot path. you can see one from my house, though I think it is a VM one, and it would requrie the cables to run across the pavement. so unless they put the actual sockets on a pole on the other side I don't think this will work for a lot of the 60K cabinets. cool idea though

I was thinking the same thing, most of the Cabinets around my way are behind the pavement, not on the roadside.

 

[fancealot]

I was thinking the same thing, most of the Cabinets around my way are behind the pavement, not on the roadside.

It looks like there will be a post slightly down and at the roadside to enable cars to plug in without draping cables over the pavements, it'll be similar to how your home charger is not connected on top of your supply cabinet but where you need it by cabling to where it's needed (see 2nd pic on the article)

 

[Rob R]

This is all fine, but what we need is a national specification for pavement crossing cables which, if complied with, will not need permission from the local authority. Council planning/roads departments are where good ideas go to die.

 

[spdpsba]

but what we need is a national specification for pavement crossing cables which

New York has managed this very well with DOT (a long cable but hangs from the post with some clips so doesn’t fall on the pavement) , though number of other London style lamppost chargers are also on its way. The DOT ones have all safety features enabled like the whole piece coming off if something hit the charger and not exposing the live wires.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Unlike the ones pictured in my experience a lot of them are on the other side of the foot path. you can see one from my house, though I think it is a VM one, and it would requrie the cables to run across the pavement. so unless they put the actual sockets on a pole on the other side I don't think this will work for a lot of the 60K cabinets. cool idea though

The Sunday Times had a picture of a roadside-charger-post, and the green cabinet in background, far side of footpath, so if was "real" then that's the plan.

(I Googled it but its behind paywall, unless someone has a SUB can can link the image)

 

[spdpsba]

The Sunday Times had a picture of a roadside-charger-post, and the green cabinet in background, far side of footpath, so if was "real" then that's the plan.

(I Googled it but its behind paywall, unless someone has a SUB can can link the image)

This one has it:

BT Group pilot powers up first EV charger repurposed from street cabinet

Pilots aim to extend usefulness of near end-of-life green street cabinets as EV charge pointsUp to 60,000 street cabinets could be used in this way, tackling the current national shortfall in EV charging infrastructurePilot rollout to take place as almost two-thirds of people in the UK (60%)1...

newsroom.bt.com

 

[ringi]

They tend to have 100amp connections with meters and have allready made the capacity payments to DNO so advoids issues with getting a new connection approved.

BT is allowed to dig up pavements themselfs to put in equipment posts without needing approval from councils.

 

[NewbieT]

They tend to have 100amp connections with meters and have allready made the capacity payments to DNO so advoids issues with getting a new connection approved.

BT is allowed to dig up pavements themselfs to put in equipment posts without needing approval from councils.

Openreach has rights under the telecommunications acts etc but I’m not sure the legislation would extend to power used for other purposes.

Permission and consents for the new post could be interesting. Frontagers consent?

 

[Wattsisname]

This is all fine, but what we need is a national specification for pavement crossing cables which, if complied with, will not need permission from the local authority. Council planning/roads departments are where good ideas go to die.

Surely the cables would be buried under the pavement.

 

[Oxid8ter]

Surely the cables would be buried under the pavement.

I think @Rob R is on about as a whole, rather than specifically for this BT project. For example, if you live in a terraced house with on street parking.

 

[Durham Red]

With the great lamppost chargers in London, I find the biggest problem is that about 80% of the time, people park in front of them without charging - usually non-electric vehicles.

Hopefully these will be designated EV parking only and while charging.

 

[Zilla91]

Hopefully these will be designated EV parking only and while charging.

Imagine the uproar if they did do that

 

[qwickshot]

Pretty sure the article said that only a small proportion of cabinets are actually suitable but that’s still the thousands they quoted.

 

[Js1977]

Pretty sure the article said that only a small proportion of cabinets are actually suitable but that’s still the thousands they quoted.

The vast majority of their cabinets are copper only so that will and these do not need power so this would make sense. Some of the fibre cabinets (which do need power) that provide FTTC aren't always located very near the copper only cabinet but could be possible to have power by removing the big lan cables and feeding power only through the conduits.

Im sure the whole thing will work in BT's favour since I believe they pay business rates on these and cant just leave them hanging about.

 

[WannabeOwner]

could be possible to have power by removing the big lan cables and feeding power only through the conduits

And, I assume?, that because the data cable is "fibre" then no interference from having the Power in close proximity in the same duct.

 

[Js1977]

And, I assume?, that because the data cable is "fibre" then no interference from having the Power in close proximity in the same duct.

I only used to do the job... dont kill the messenger