Electric vehicles will play a critical role in slashing transport-related emissions in the years ahead.
Momentum behind the industry is building, with a number of big economies gearing up for the mass rollout of EVs and sales of electric cars hitting 6.6 million in 2021, a record, according to the International Energy Agency.
Not all countries will move at the same pace in the planned transition to low and zero-emission mobility, and the shift away from cars powered by fossil fuels won’t always be smooth.
There are concerns, for example, that the lower noise levels of EVs may pose a challenge to people with sight problems, while talk of a skills gap is sparking discussions about cost and safety.
Charging infrastructure is another area to watch, with the construction of vast networks set to be crucial in allaying fears about range anxiety. Equally important is making sure these EV chargers are accessible to all.
According to the charity Motability, it’s estimated the U.K. will have 2.7 million disabled drivers by 2035.
As many as 1.35 million of this group, it says, “will be at least wholly or partially reliant on public charging infrastructure.”
The year 2035 is seen as being particularly important because that’s when the U.K. government wants all new cars and vans to have zero tailpipe emissions.
A disabled person who wants to use an EV charger today faces “inaccessibility at lots of different points throughout the process,” Catherine Marris, Motability’s head of innovation, told CNBC.
Such challenges begin when one leaves the house to use a public charger, she added.
“If they want to go on an app, for example, to see where there’s chargers, there isn’t usually information available about which chargers might be more accessible,” Marris said.
“Then, when they get to a charging site, there might not be clear signage and information about where charging points are located.”
The built environment around the charging bay could create difficulties too. “There might not be enough space around the charging bay to exit your vehicle,” Marris said.
“If you’re using a mobility aid, there might be a really high, raised curb that … someone would have to mount to get on the pavement.”
“The charge point itself might be surrounded with bollards that aren’t adequately spaced, so … if you’re using a mobility aid or wheelchair, you wouldn’t be able to actually get up to the charge point itself.”
Marris told CNBC that a charging point may also be “too high for a seated user, it might be too low for someone who might have difficulties reaching down.”
Ensuring EV chargers are accessible to all is a big task, and organizations like Motability are pushing hard to create conditions for change.
In collaboration with the U.K. government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, it commissioned the British Standards Institution to develop a “national accessible charging standard for EV chargepoints.”
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