BSI report reveals that disabled drivers face “significant” physical barriers to EV charging
With 2.7 million disabled drivers and passengers expected on UK roads by 2035, it’s more important than ever that electric vehicle (EV) charge points are accessible, according to the British Standards Institution (BSI).
The BSI says that it welcomes the recent progress towards this goal with the positive vote in the House of Commons on the accessible EV charge point amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
The review highlights that disabled drivers still face significant barriers when accessing public charge points and calls for updates to the standard to make EV charging truly inclusive.
Co-sponsored by Motability Foundation and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), the report draws on extensive evidence from disabled drivers and advocacy groups.
Findings signal a critical moment for the EV sector to deliver infrastructure that works for everyone. The report found accessibility challenges persist with 49 per cent of disabled drivers rating their public charging experience as poor or somewhat poor, compared to 75 per cent reporting positive experiences at home.
Physical barriers remain with limited space around chargepoints and heavy cables are major obstacles for wheelchair users.
The report also revealed confusion over roles, responsibilities, and technical requirements has slowed uptake of the standard (PAS 1899).
Recommendations include splitting PAS 1899 into two parts (on-street and off-street), updating technical clauses on component heights and cable weights, and introducing an open data standard so drivers can easily locate accessible chargepoints.
Nick Fleming, Director of Transport and Mobility, BSI, said: “Accessibility must be at the heart of the UK’s transition to electric vehicles. This review shows that while PAS 1899 has been pioneering in setting out standards for accessible charging some drivers still face significant barriers.
“The report calls for an update to PAS 1899 to make technical requirements clearer, and to provide greater clarity for the industry, which can further help support implementation and accelerate adoption of accessible EV charging points, on and off-street.
“It remains essential that all drivers can confidently access public charging. Standards must work alongside other interventions to create this change, and they can be powerful tool for delivering improvements to accessibility and inclusion.
“This review was about finding out how the standard should respond to help achieve this aim and we’re committed to working with government, industry, and consumer groups to explore how we now revise the PAS to deliver infrastructure that works for everyone.”
In recent news Motability Operations has signed a new agreement with Kia Worldwide to develop more inclusive and sustainable mobility solutions.
