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Campaigners such as Lady Grey-Thompson have expressed concerns that those with mobility challenges risk being locked out from the transition to EVs due to inaccessible charging points.

Rising Numbers But Access Issues

The count of electric vehicle charging points in Britain has been rising fast, with some 17,400 deployed in the period up to July. Nevertheless, the absence of regulations means motorists with access needs sometimes cannot be sure they will be able to access them.

Typical challenges include raised kerbs, gravelled areas, touchscreens positioned too high, or leads that are difficult to handle.

Policy Moves

Just this week, the upper chamber voted for an addition to the planning and development law that would enable officials to enforce accessibility standards on electric vehicle stations.

Tanni Grey-Thompson, who secured 11 Paralympic golds across five Games, currently acts as a non-aligned lord in the House of Lords. She often draws attention to problems with mobility-friendly travel, including a recent incident where she was needed to exit a train on her hands and knees due to no available help.

"Individuals with disabilities have been overlooked entirely," she remarked. "I've attempted to switch to an electric vehicle more than once. It has been really hard going."

Industry and Advocacy Voices

Vicky Edmonds, noted, "There is a present danger millions of drivers being locked out from the move to electric cars. Almost 50% of EV owners have problems with accessibility of public charging."

She urged the authorities to issue new inclusive design rules and to take enabling powers to make the rules compulsory.

Studies funded by the non-profit organization indicates the United Kingdom has around 1.35 million motorists with disabilities, with 390,000 unlikely to have home charging options.

Guidelines and What's Ahead

Currently, just 2.3% of chargers comply with the standards set by the national standards body. Efforts to make its PAS 1899 guideline more feasible have stalled.

Jamie Borwick, who introduced the measure, warned that setting up non-compliant stations today would impact the future and leave disabled drivers with few options when new petrol and diesel vehicles are phased out from 2035 onward.

"We will end up with a large number of charging points that aren't accessible," he noted. "It is essential to design for accessibility from the start."

Nigel Fletcher remarked that EV charger guidelines should be be enforced. "It is crucial that all EV station companies bear the duty for making sure that their facilities is easy to use."

A lobby group leader stated, "Not a single user should be overlooked in the move to electric cars, and this encompasses those with disabilities."

Government Response

A transport department spokesperson commented, "We are dedicated to making sure those with access needs can easily charge their EVs, which is why we requested a study into accessibility standards for charge points."

"The study has finished, and its results will be published shortly. We remain engaged with the sector on how we can improve charger availability for disabled drivers."