National disability charity Motability has said it’s close to developing an approved accessibility standard for charge points, in partnership with the British Standards Institute (BSI) and fellow disability charity Designability.

Three-quarters (73%) of people say charge post spaces should be wheelchair-friendly

The three organisations announced last year they were teaming up to develop standards for EV charge points across the country to make charging inclusive for all, and have revealed they are close to approval.

The proposed BSI standards, sponsored jointly by Motability and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), are fully supported by the AA which says electric vehicle charging posts need to be more accessible for the one in five people with disabilities.

Currently almost one in 10 new cars in the UK are bought on behalf of disabled people, and a survey by the AA, carried out among 17,302 drivers, found three-quarters (73%) of respondents said charge post spaces should be wheelchair-friendly, while 79% said charge post design should consider users with limited mobility and/or physical disabilities. And 80% said there should be access to a 24/7 call helpline.

It’s a point that will be made by Edmund King, AA president, today at the EV Infrastructure Summit 2022.

King will tell the conference: “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.”

He added: “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.”