Electric vehicles will play a key role in reducing transport-related emissions in the coming years.
The momentum in the industry is gaining momentum, with many major economies gearing up for an enormous rollout of electric vehicles and electric automotive sales to reach 6.6 million in 2021. recordaccording to the International Energy Agency.
Not all countries will move at the same pace in the planned transition to low-emission and zero-emission mobility, and the transition away from fossil fuel powered cars won’t all the time be smooth.
For instance, there are concerns that the lower noise level of electric vehicles could also be a challenge for individuals with vision problems, while talking about the skills gap sparks discussions about cost and safety.
Charging infrastructure is one other area to watch, and constructing extensive networks is critical to allay concerns about coverage anxiety. It is equally vital that these EV chargers can be found to everyone.
According to the charity Motability, yes estimated The UK can have 2.7 million disabled drivers by 2035.
It is said that as many as 1.35 million of this group “will probably be a minimum of wholly or partially depending on public charging infrastructure.”
The yr 2035 is seen as particularly vital as that is when the UK government wants all latest cars and vans to be zero emission.
An individual with a disability who wants to use an EV charger today faces “inaccessibility at many alternative points throughout the process,” Catherine Marris, Motability’s head of innovation, told CNBC.
She added that such challenges start if you leave your private home to use a public charger.
“In the event that they want to use an app to see where chargers are, for instance, there’s normally no information available about which chargers may be more accessible,” Marris said.
“Once they get to the charging point, there is probably not clear signage and data about where the charging points are.”
The built environment around the charging bay will also be difficult. “There is probably not enough space around the charging bay to get out of the vehicle,” said Marris.
“If you happen to’re using a mobility aid, there could possibly be a extremely high, raised curb that … someone would have to climb over to get to the sidewalk.”
“The charging point itself could also be surrounded by poles that should not properly spaced, so … when you use a mobility aid or a wheelchair, you will not have the ability to get to the charging point itself.”
Marris told CNBC that the charging point might also be “too high for a seated user, it could be too low for somebody who could have difficulty reaching.”
Making electric vehicle chargers available to everyone is an enormous task, and organizations like Motability are working hard to create the conditions for change.
In partnership with the government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, it commissioned the British Standards Institution to develop a “national accessible charging standard for electric vehicle charging points”.
PAS 1899:2022, as known, it was published in October 2022 and covers every thing from curb height and charging kit locations to post spacing and charging point heights.
“There was a one-year process where industry…accessibility experts and other people with disabilities got together and developed a typical by consensus as a gaggle,” Marris said.
She went on to describe the final product as “a extremely powerful document that spells out exactly what available charging is and the way it may well be achieved.”
One other charity, Designability, has been included in the steering group to help inform PAS 1899:2022. Individually, it received funding from Motability for development design guidelines for people related to the charging industry.
The rules cover three primary areas: labeling and data; built environment; and the vehicle charging process.
“We delved into areas that were really difficult,” Matt Ford, director of design and innovation at Designability, told CNBC.
“It’s there, it’s free, it’s available to anyone involved in providing vehicle charging,” he said.
Having design guidelines and a typical like PAS 1899 is one thing. Getting charging stations that really contain the available features is one other matter.
“Change is needed across the industry”
In February 2023, Tanni Grey-Thompson, a wheelchair user who has won multiple gold medals at the Paralympic Games, drew attention to the problem by tweeting a picture of InstaVolt’s electric chargers with the caption: “This is why I can not change to an electric automotive “.
Elaborating on her point of view, Grey-Thompson – a member of the UK House of Lords – tweeted about the lack of space on either side and the way she couldn’t “get close enough to reach”.
In an announcement sent to CNBC, InstaVolt CEO Adrian Keen said it was “committed to working with the requirements outlined in the PAS1899 consultation, while taking direct feedback from charging point users to improve accessibility at InstaVolt sites.”
“We’re reaching out to Tanni Grey-Thompson to discuss the work we’re doing on this space, the challenges users face, and the way this might impact our site designs going forward,” he added.
“We recognize that changes are needed across the industry and are taking steps to ensure accessible sites where possible.”
“As well as, we now have completely redesigned our chargers based on PAS1899 guidelines and so they will probably be installed in the latest locations from spring,” said Keen.
This device now includes a spread of features akin to longer cables, lower screens and payment terminals, in addition to what Keen called “an improved cable management system to allow for higher charger accessibility.”
Creating a typical
InstaVolt’s plans are a step in the right direction, but we still have loads of work ahead of us.
Ford of Designability explained that the PAS, or publicly available specification, “is not an official standard – it has not been adopted into laws. This is not… regulation.”
“But by creating a typical, by following a sturdy process with the British Standards Institute, by having a steering group of stakeholders from across the industry and the disability community … you may have a typical which is a extremely good blueprint for charging point sharing.”
Such a typical became “really powerful” when local authorities began including it on order forms for firms bidding to install charging facilities, Ford said.
“It’s being adopted, from what we have seen, really quite quickly, not only by councils [but] … hotel chains, large firms [as well]”.
A world challenge
UK-based organizations akin to Motability and Designability should not alone of their seek for accessibility-centric ideas and projects.
In July 2022, they were issued by the US Access Board, an independent federal agency design recommendations for available charging stations.
And in December 2022, the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia announced its launch attempt focuses on creating “standards of access for individuals with disabilities who want to use electric vehicle charging infrastructure”.
Seen by many as the authoritative voice on the energy transition, the IEA describes electric vehicles as “a key technology for decarbonising road transport”.
To attain this massive decarbonisation, an enormous network of public charging stations will probably be needed in the coming years.
For charities like Designability, this represents an enormous opportunity to put accessibility at the heart of the charging network. “It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity … once the infrastructure is there, it’s extremely hard to influence,” said Ford.
For her part, Marris of Motability said she is a firm believer that “100% of charging points ought to be available”.
“Not only because we wish individuals with disabilities to have the ability to charge at any charging point they arrive across – not only a select few – but in addition because accessibility is great for everybody.”
“Whether you are disabled, otherwise you’re an elderly person, otherwise you’re a parent pushing a stroller and you would like more room, accessibility really does lead to a greater consumer experience.”