Campaigners such as the former Paralympian have expressed concerns that those with mobility challenges risk being locked out from the move toward electric cars due to charging stations that aren't accessible.
Rising Numbers But Access Issues
The number of public charging stations throughout the United Kingdom is growing quickly, with some 17,400 deployed in the period up to July. Yet, the missing guidelines means motorists with access needs often cannot trust they will be able to access them.
Common obstacles include raised kerbs, gravel surfaces, screens mounted too tall, or cables that are too heavy.
Government Steps
Just this week, the upper chamber passed an amendment to the planning and development law that would enable officials to impose inclusive design rules on public charging points.
Lady Grey-Thompson, who won 11 gold medals across five Games, is now a non-aligned lord in the upper house. She regularly highlights failures in accessible transport, including a previous situation where she was forced to crawl off a train due to no available help.
"Those with access needs have been completely forgotten about," she commented. "I've attempted to switch to an electric car a couple of times. It has been very challenging."
Industry and Advocacy Voices
The chief executive of EVA England, said, "There is a present danger countless motorists being locked out from the move to electric cars. Almost 50% of electric car users face issues with public charger access."
She called for the government to publish its revised accessibility standard and to take enabling powers to mandate that standard.
Studies funded by the non-profit organization shows the UK has as many as 1.35 million disabled drivers, of which 390,000 unlikely to have home-based EV charging.
Guidelines and What's Ahead
Right now, just 2.3% of EV stations meet the criteria established by the BSI. Attempts to render its accessibility standard PAS 1899 more achievable have halted.
Jamie Borwick, who proposed the change, warned that setting up non-compliant stations today would impact the future and restrict options for accessible users when non-electric vehicles are phased out after 2035.
"We are likely to see a whole mass of inaccessible chargers," he noted. "It is essential to design for inclusive use from the very beginning."
Nigel Fletcher said that accessibility requirements should be be enforced. "It is crucial that all public charging operators bear the duty for making sure that their infrastructure is accessible."
The chief executive of ChargeUK stated, "No drivers should be excluded in the move to electric cars, and this includes motorists requiring access accommodations."
Authorities' Reply
A government transport body representative stated, "We are fully committed to ensuring those with access needs can easily charge their electric cars, which is why we ordered an analysis into EV charger access guidelines."
"The study has finished, and its findings will be published shortly. We are still collaborating with the sector on how we can improve charger availability for those with disabilities."
