A review by the British Standards Institution has highlighted the barriers faced by disabled drivers to electric vehicle (EV) charging.
Although welcoming the recent amendment on accessibility to EV chargepoint regulation in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the review said that disabled drivers “still face significant barriers when accessing public charge points”.
Co-sponsored by Motability Foundation and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), the report calls for updates to the standard to make EV charging “truly inclusive”, it said.
The review draws on extensive evidence from disabled drivers and advocacy groups, stating that 49% of disabled drivers rated their public charging experience as poor or somewhat poor – compared to 75% reporting positive experiences at home.
In addition, it said physical barriers remain, with limited space around chargepoints and heavy cables being “major obstacles for wheelchair users”.
Implementation gaps on accessibility include confusion over roles, responsibilities, and technical requirements, which has slowed uptake of the PAS 1899 standard.
In terms of next steps, it recommends splitting PAS 1899 into two parts – on-street and off-street – and updating technical clauses on component heights and cable weights, as well as introducing an open data standard so drivers can easily locate accessible chargepoints.
Nick Fleming, Director of Transport and Mobility, BSI, said:
“Accessibility must be at the heart of the UK’s transition to electric vehicles. This review shows that while PAS 1899 has been pioneering in setting out standards for accessible charging some drivers still face significant barriers. The report calls for an update to PAS 1899 to make technical requirements clearer, and to provide greater clarity for the industry, which can further help support implementation and accelerate adoption of accessible EV charging points, on and off-street.
“It remains essential that all drivers can confidently access public charging. Standards must work alongside other interventions to create this change, and they can be powerful tool for delivering improvements to accessibility and inclusion.
“This review was about finding out how the standard should respond to help achieve this aim and we’re committed to working with government, industry, and consumer groups to explore how we now revise the PAS to deliver infrastructure that works for everyone.”
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
