BT suddenly SCRAPS failed EV charger scheme having installed just one – despite planning to set up 60,000 across UK
ENERGY company BT has scrapped its scheme to install electric vehicle (EV) charging points in street cabinets across the UK.
Only one EV charging point was installed in East Lothian in May last year with no further points having been installed since.
They initially proposed to install 60,000 charging points across the UK.
But now the company has decided instead to focus on the Wi-Fi connectivity issues that many charging points suffer from.
Last year, East Lothian residents were able to use the first and only EV charging point installed under the scheme at no cost for a month.
The pilot was set to move its focus to West Yorkshire and to then expand to a further 600 trial sites across the UK.
The scheme unfortunately fell flat with the converted street cabinet in East Lothian closing in February.
The green cabinets on streets across the UK are beginning to become obsolete with the increase in fibre optic broadband.
They traditionally house cables for broadband and telephone signals.
BT had planned to utilise the boxes to tackle what they called a “national shortfall in EV charging infrastructure”.
However, they have now backtracked and are diverting attention to the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity surrounding EV charging points which makes it impossible to pay for a session via apps.
Speaking to the BBC, an East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “East Lothian has one of the highest numbers of electric vehicle chargers per head of population among Scotland‘s local authorities with more than 370 public places to plug in cars.”
Zapmap, which tracks charging points across the UK, shows 11 charging points in the East Lothian region.
A BT spokesperson also told the BBC yesterday that the trial tested “a great deal about the challenges that many on-street EV drivers are facing with charging and where BT Group can add most value to the UK EV ecosystem”.
They went on to say: “Other emerging needs we’ve identified include the Wi-Fi connectivity challenge surrounding EVs – our pilots will now shift in focus to explore this further.”
Ford boss says Government's 'aggressive' Net Zero rules are hitting British car industry
By Ashley Armstrong, Business Editor
FORD’S UK boss claimed the British car industry was being hit by the harshest Net Zero rules in the world.
And Lisa Brankin told The Sun that the Government needed to boost incentives for drivers to switch to electric vehicles.
Strict deadlines backed by the threat of swingeing fines have been blamed for Vauxhall’s decision last week to shut its Luton factory, risking 1,100 jobs.
Meanwhile, Ford has cut 800 jobs in a month to ensure it is “fit for the future” in the face of looming Chinese competition.
The Government is consulting on easing its stance amid warnings the industry will fail to meet a 22 per cent EV sales target this year.
Ms Brankin said “flexibility will be helpful” but added: “The key thing we need is government-funded incentives to drive the uptake of electric vehicles because that’s what the challenge is.”
Ms Brankin called emission targets “really, really aggressive”.
She went on: “As an industry, we are being heavily regulated and with some really significant penalties and I think we’re the only market globally that has that.
“We’re saying if we want to hit that CO2 target, we need to manage this transition together.”