In partnership with national disability charity Motability, the Department for Transport has commissioned the British Standards Institute (BSI) to develop accessibility standards for EV chargepoints across the country.
The standards aim to provide industry with guidance and drivers with a new clear definition of ‘fully accessible’, ‘partially accessible’ and ‘not accessible’ public EV chargepoints.
Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said: “With sales of EVs increasing and the government’s net zero ambitions accelerating, I want to make it as easy as possible for EV drivers to charge up their vehicles at public chargepoints right across the UK, regardless of their mobility.”
Accessibility considerations will include adequate space between bollards, charging units being of a height suitable for wheelchair users, size of the parking bay and kerb height.
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, Motability and BSI will be working with industry stakeholders including EV chargepoint operators, disability charities and innovators to ensure that the consumer can find the right chargepoints for their needs. Motability will be holding a series of workshops on accessibility and electric vehicle charging in August.