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Advocates including Lady Grey-Thompson have expressed concerns that those with mobility challenges may be excluded from the move toward electric cars due to charging stations that aren't accessible.

Rising Numbers However Barriers Remain

The quantity of electric vehicle charging points in Britain is increasing rapidly, with approximately 17,400 set up in the twelve months ending in July. However, the absence of regulations means those with disabilities frequently cannot rely on they will be able to use them.

Common obstacles include elevated curbs, gravelled areas, touchscreens positioned too high, or charging cords that are weighty.

Legislative Action

Just this week, the House of Lords approved a change to the planning and development law that would provide power to impose inclusive design rules on public EV chargers.

Lady Grey-Thompson, who won 11 gold medals across five Games, is now a crossbench peer in the upper house. She frequently underscores problems with mobility-friendly travel, for example a previous situation where she was had to crawl from a train due to no available help.

"Individuals with disabilities have been left out of the picture," she stated. "I've tried to change to an EV more than once. It has been really hard going."

Sector and Campaigner Perspectives

An EV association leader, said, "We're currently risking a huge number of users missing out from the transition to electric vehicles. Close to half of electric car users are struggling with using public EV stations."

She urged the government to release updated access guidelines and to adopt regulatory measures to enforce those requirements.

Research commissioned by the charitable foundation reveals the UK has up to 1.35 million motorists with disabilities, including 390,000 unlikely to have home charging options.

Regulations and Forward View

At present, just 2.3% of chargers fulfill the requirements outlined by the national standards body. Efforts to make its PAS 1899 guideline more feasible have slowed down.

Jamie Borwick, who proposed the change, cautioned that installing unsuitable chargers at this time would create long-term issues and restrict options for accessible users when non-electric vehicles are phased out post-2035.

"We are likely to see a large number of charging points that aren't accessible," he commented. "We must design for accessibility from the outset."

The chief executive of the Motability Foundation said that accessibility requirements should be made mandatory. "It is vital that all public charging operators assume responsibility for making sure that their equipment is inclusive."

The chief executive of ChargeUK added, "No drivers should be excluded in the transition to electric vehicles, and this encompasses those with disabilities."

Official Statement

A transport department spokesperson said, "We are fully committed to guaranteeing those with access needs can easily charge their EVs, which is why we commissioned a review into inclusive design for charging stations."

"The analysis is complete, and its conclusions will be published shortly. We continue to work with industry on how we can enhance access to chargers for motorists with access needs."