Accessibility of EVs: what needs to change?

Electric vehicles should be accessible for everyone, but that is not always the case. In what ways can they be made a more viable option for disabled drivers? Robyn Quick examines the issue.

With an increased push from the government to encourage everyone to drive electric vehicles (EVs), more drivers and fleet managers are looking to make the switch. 

This of course includes people with disabilities and, for some, it is harder to access EVs compared to non-disabled drivers. Accessibility needs vary from person to person but we can look at drivers who use a wheelchair as an example.

Research conducted by the Motability Foundation in 2023 found that over 70 per cent of disabled wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) users have considered driving an electric WAV, with over 25 per cent planning to get one as their next vehicle.

The report suggested that the combination of not having enough public charging points and poor vehicle design is deterring wheelchair users from choosing an EV.

It also said that disabled people’s requirements were not being sufficiently considered in the design and production of EVs. 

Barry Le Grys, former chief executive officer of the Motability Foundation said of the report: “While we continue to make progress on the accessibility of public charge points, it’s clear from this research that further work is needed on vehicle design.”

Le Grys added that there is a risk that disabled people could lose the “vital independence that having access to private transport brings if these issues are not addressed” in time. 

And with statistics suggesting there are around 16 million disabled people living in the UK, this is a significant proportion that could be disadvantaged. 

The problems facing disabled drivers

There are a wide variety of provisions that can be required for disabled drivers, but here are a few that have an impact on many.

In terms of public infrastructure, there are several issues in many areas that can deter disabled drivers from choosing to drive an EV. 

Leads are often not long enough to reach for wheelchair users or drivers who use mobility aids, and the parking bays can be too small for the adapted vehicles many people require.

As well as this, charging cables can be too heavy to carry. The amount of force required to attach the connector and the lack of dropped kerbs around charge points can also be a problem for disabled drivers.

The number of EV chargers suitable for some disabled drivers is also an issue, so drivers may end up waiting for other users to finish charging. There are bookable community charging hubs, but the act of having to book in advance removes the ability to do things without a lot of planning ahead for disabled drivers. 

As the seating position may need to be changed for some, this means the infotainment system in the car is often at the wrong angle and the information cannot be seen because of glare.

Fighting for change

One of the biggest steps towards ensuring that disabled people can transition to EV driving comes from the accessibility standard for public EV charging – BSI PAS 1899, which the Motability Foundation co-sponsored alongside the government.

The standard provides a clear specification of how to make accessible charge points of different speeds and in different environments.

It can be used by any organisation involved in the manufacture, installation, planning and hosting of public charge points in the UK. 

But what could local governments do to make charging EVs easier for disabled drivers? 

Catherine Marris, head of innovation and policy at Motability Foundation, told GREENFLEET that councils are going to be some of the most important procurers for electric charging infrastructure.

She said: “We’re seeing a lot of local councils including PAS 1899 compliance in their plans for providing public EV charge points, which is really encouraging to see.”

Marris added that it “makes sense” to ensure charge points meet the minimum accessibility standard now, rather than having to change them later on if PAS 1899 becomes enforced. 

“Mandating the standard,” she said, “is something we’ve always supported to ensure the transition to EV is accessible to all. “We don’t want accessibility to be an afterthought,” she added.

Fleet advice

Marris also said that fleet managers need to “actively” think about making their fleets accessible for all their staff. 

She commented that a lot of the recommendations made in the PAS 1899 standard could be applied to provide an accessible charging environment for fleet vehicles.

Marris said: “Vans may benefit from similar charging environments, for example the standard’s best practice recommendations on bigger parking bays and not placing bollards in the way.”

She added that this greater accessibility benefits everyone, so chargepoint providers should be pushing to meet these standards as much as possible.