PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Electric Vehicles: Disability (3 February 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the infrastructure needed for the UK’s transition to electric vehicles is accessible for people with disabilities.

Asked by:
Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat)

The Government is committed to ensuring an accessible and inclusively designed electric vehicle (EV) charging network is available for all consumers.

That is why we are partnering with national disability charity Motability to commission the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop accessibility standards for public EV chargepoints. These standards – to be finalised by summer 2022 – are being developed in collaboration with consumer groups, chargepoint operators and other stakeholders.  Guidance will consider aspects such as kerb height, cable weight, adequate space between bollards and chargepoints being of a height suitable for wheelchair users. It will also consider chargepoints in the context of their surrounding built environment to ensure pedestrians and other road users’ needs are reflected.

We consulted on introducing accessibility requirements at EV chargepoints in autumn 2021. We will publish a response in 2022.

Answered by:
Trudy Harrison (Conservative)
9 February 2022