Monday 18 November 2019

Virgin Media owner to roll out 1,200 EV charging points across the UK

The owner of Virgin Media has announced plans to roll out 1,200 charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) across 600 streets in the UK.

Telecommunications giant Liberty Global will develop the charging points by transforming existing Virgin Media street cabinets and ducts and connect them to its digital network over the next 18 months.

It has teamed up with Loughborough University, which is part of a 19-strong consortium, for the project to identify the best sites to install the charging points.

They will look into whether EVs are most popular, the types of households that do not have easy access to off-street car parking and the presence of existing charging infrastructure.

The data will then be analysed to determine how environmental conditions and local context impact residents’ car choices.

Other partners include Vattenfall, SMS plc, Cenex, Ginger Town, Fully Charged, Connected Kerb and DETA.

Jason Simpson, Vice President Global Energy and Utilities for Liberty Global, said: “Leveraging street cabinets allows Liberty Global to look beyond traditional uses of telecom infrastructure and make a positive impact on the environment and in communities throughout the UK.

“By bringing more electric vehicle chargers and associated connectivity to Britain’s streets, we are making a significant contribution to Innovate UK’s ambition to encourage more people to buy electric cars. We’re excited to be working with a wide array of partners who each bring their own areas of expertise to this exciting and innovative project.”

The project has been created in partnership with Innovate UK, the government’s research and innovation department, to help local authorities find a solution to limited on-street EV charging points and thereby encourage more people to switch to EVs.