-
Three quarters call for spaces for wheelchairs at EV
chargers
-
Eight in ten want access to 24/7 call helpline
Electric vehicle charging posts need to be more accessible for
the one in five people with disabilities, according to the AA
president, addressing the EV infrastructure summit today.
The call is supported by the vast majority of the 17,302 drivers
who responded to an AA Yonder survey+ last year.
- * 73% say charge post spaces should be wheelchair friendly
- * 79% say charge post design should consider users with
limited mobility and/or physical disabilities
- * 80% say there should be access to a 24/7 call helpline
Currently almost one in ten new cars in the UK are bought on
behalf of disabled people. The Motability Scheme, overseen by the
Motability charity, has enabled millions of disabled people to
lease a car and enjoy the freedom of mobility. With the ban on
the sale of new petrol or diesel cars just eight years away it is
essential that charging infrastructure is accessible for all
drivers.
Thankfully help is at hand as the Motability charity has been
working on this issue for many months now in conjunction with
fellow disability charity Designability, the British Standards
Institution (BSI) and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles
(OZEV). This work will result in national standards that set a
minimum level of accessibility for electric vehicle charging
infrastructure. These proposed BSI standards, sponsored jointly
by Motability charity and OZEV, are fully supported by the AA.
Edmund King OBE, AA president, will tell the conference: “The AA
has been raising the issue of accessibility and security at
charging posts and polled members on it last year, but we are
absolutely delighted that Motability has taken this several steps
forward and are close to an approved standard.
“In simple terms, charging posts need to be well-lit, close to
amenities, with space around the vehicle to allow people to use
walking or mobility aids. It is also essential that the
instructions, screen, and cables can be easily viewed and used
from a sitting and standing position.
“Our experience on the EV Rally of Scotland brought it home to us
that some people with limited mobility would struggle with the
height and weight of cables particularly in enclosed areas with
little space.
“Creating new charging posts that are easily accessible will not
only benefit disabled drivers but will be a great help to our
ageing population and indeed all drivers.
“We are getting to the point where the uptake of EVs is moving
quickly from early-adopters, who perhaps put up with more quirks
in the system, to more mainstream drivers who will rightly want
the infrastructure to meet their expectations.
“All individuals also need to be safe and feel safe, using the
charging infrastructure at any time of the day or night. We know
of some chargers in remote corners of carparks with little
lighting or security for users who rightly feel vulnerable on
their own and must use a credit card and phone in public view.
Hence the network needs to be accessible and safe.
“We are aware that some providers have made excellent progress in
designing high quality infrastructure and indeed the AA provides
customer support services to several providers. More accessible
infrastructure will help speed up the EV revolution for all
drivers.”
Catherine Marris, Head of Innovation at Motability, said: “There
is a robust commercial and social case for ensuring that the
transition to EVs is inclusive for disabled people. Our
research with Ricardo estimates there will be 2.7 million UK
drivers or passengers with a disability by 2035, with half
reliant on public charging.
“It is therefore hugely important that disabled people are not
left behind in the transition and that infrastructure providers
avoid expensive retrofitting by building accessibility into
chargepoint design at the start; following best practice and
design standards will help.”
Ends
Notes to the editors:
+ Yonder on-line survey of survey of 17,302 drivers carried out
from 12-20 January 2021.
Motability is
a national charity with the vision that no
disabled person should be disadvantaged due to poor access to
transportation.
UK government partners
with disability charity to set standards for electric vehicle
chargepoints - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Designability
is a national charity that enables disabled people to live
with greater independence through the creation and provision of
useful products.
EV Infrastructure Summit – City & Financial 18/19
January 2022 Home - EV Infrastructure
Summit 2022 (cityandfinancialconferences.com)
The conference session that Edmund King is involved in will
consider: - Looking into the future; levelling up the imbalance
in charging infrastructure provision in the UK. What are the main
barriers to rapid EV transition and how can this be addressed?
The role of central government vs local authorities, subsidies,
club schemes for sharing charging infrastructure between
residents and other potential solutions. Motorway and local
charging infrastructure challenges
