Less than a third (31%) of the UK public would be willing to walk more than 10 minutes home from a public electric vehicle charger, a new study has found.

The second edition of the EV Transition Tracker, produced by Motability Operations, reveals how gaps in local infrastructure could be discouraging many from switching to EVs.

The report from the company behind the Motability Scheme also reveals that a fifth (20%) of people wouldn’t be willing to walk more than five minutes to access a charger.

But new data from Field Dynamics – in partnership with Zapmap – has found that the average walk time to a public charger for UK households is 11 minutes and 56 seconds. London, however, is significantly ahead, with the average walking time falling to just over three minutes and seven seconds.

Motability warns that the lack of nearby charging outside of London is contributing to low confidence in the network, particularly for people with disabilities.

When asked about getting back from a public charge point, almost four in 10 (37%) disabled customer surveyed, and over one in 10 (12%) UK adults, said they would not consider using the public charging network at all.

Similarly, when asked about the availability of chargers, confidence was low. Just 12% of disabled drivers on the Motability Scheme and 28% of the UK public said there are enough public chargers near where they live for people to easily find one when needed.

Even among EV drivers, who typically feel more positive about the network, only half (51%) believed there to be enough public chargers across the country. That figure fell to just 24% among EV drivers on the Motability Scheme, showing a clear disconnect between the UK’s infrastructure rollout and the real-world needs of drivers with additional mobility requirements.

Vanessa, an EV driver on the Motability Scheme, said: “While I see benefits to driving an EV, I struggle with the public network. Not only is it difficult to find chargers, as a disabled person you also have to consider whether the bays will be big enough, cables too heavy, or facilities too far away. I avoid using it.”

Andrew Miller, CEO at Motability Operations, warned: “Too many drivers don’t trust that they’ll be able to charge easily, locally or reliably. If we’re serious about meeting the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel sales, charge points need to be where people live, easy to use, and designed with everyone in mind. Until this happens, we risk leaving thousands of drivers behind.”

Craig Stephenson, managing director at Field Dynamics, said: “Field Dynamics’ analysis shows that London still dominates infrastructure provision. To enable a swift and fair transition, investment must also prioritise other regions, including rural areas, so we can build a nationwide network that supports every driver, wherever they live or travel.”

Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, said: “ChargeUK and its members believe that no drivers should be left behind in the transition to EVs, including those who have accessibility needs. Charge point operators are working with local authorities, private landlords and charging equipment manufacturers to ensure that the charging needs of disabled drivers are met when developing sites.

“ChargeUK was pleased to be part of the working group reviewing the PAS 1899 standards. We look forward to the results of that process being announced very soon.

“As an organisation, we are committed to work with all stakeholders to ensure the guidelines are fit to deliver the twin goals of an accelerated, commercially-led national rollout and the provision of accessible charging for all.”

To help address the lack of confidence in nearby, accessible public chargers, Motability Operations is working to provide Motability Scheme customers with access to an EV Journey Planner. This digital tool will help drivers understand the range of their EVs and plan routes around available charge points – the planner will help to ensure that all drivers can plot EV journeys that work for them with greater confidence.