Pressure mounts for standardised accessible EV charging nationwide

Oneev Group wants to see accessibility standards made mandatory

Tim Moore and Lyndon Gough, co-founders of UK startup Oneev Group, are calling for urgent improvements to accessibility across the UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure, as millions of disabled drivers continue to face barriers to charging and independent mobility.

ONEEV Group know first-hand that the UK’s transition to electric vehicles is accelerating, supported by government targets and increasing consumer demand. However, for many disabled drivers, the infrastructure is still failing to meet basic accessibility needs.

There are approximately 16 million disabled people in the UK, with more than 5.6 million currently in employment, contributing through consumer spending, taxes and essential workforce roles. People with disabilities represent a significant and often underestimated economic force, yet their needs are routinely overlooked. 

Households with at least one disabled person have a combined annual spending power of around £274 billion, known as the “purple pound”, according to Scope UK.

Even so, the design and roll-out of public EV charging infrastructure continues to fall short when it comes to meeting the practical requirements of disabled drivers.

In the EV sector, common accessibility barriers include:

• Charging bays that are too narrow for wheelchair access
• Screens and payment systems positioned too high or difficult to reach
• Heavy charging cables that limit independent use
• Inaccessible infrastructure for Motability users who rent privately or through local authority and are unable to install home chargers.

While electric vehicles are often promoted as the future of sustainable transport, many public chargepoints remain difficult or impossible to use for people with mobility limitations.

Government-backed guidance such as BSI PAS 1899 sets out how charging points can be designed to meet accessibility needs. However, these standards are not mandatory, resulting in inconsistent provision across the country. 

Tim Moore and Lyndon Gough are co-founders ONEEV Group

Oneev is a UK-based EV charging app designed to simplify public charging by aggregating multiple networks, offering real-time charger availability, and facilitating in-app payments to eliminate multiple app subscring app designed to simplify public charging by aggregating multiple networks, offering real-time charger availability, and facilitating in-app payments to eliminate multiple app subscriptions.