The continued increase of electric vehicle (EV) adoption means issues around infrastructure, safety and the reliability and accessibility of vehicle chargers start to take centre stage, although that will be shared with the wider topic of funding, most recently bridged in the latest Budget when pay-per-mile taxation was announced.

CIHT is playing its part in breaking through barriers, not least with its involvement in a Technical Working Group focused on making the national EV charging network more accessible. This was before £200m was allocated for the rollout of thousands of new charge points across the UK was also communicated in the Autumn Budget.

The working group was established two years after the release of the PAS 1899 standard, which supports an inclusive electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the UK. The review was co-sponsored by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Motability Foundation.

Issues being addressed

PAS 1899 primarily covers requirements for accessible public charge points, focussing on the physical aspects of the surrounding environment, their location and placement, including design in terms of height, spacing, colouring, and more, and the digital information provided.

The technical working group found that while the standard “represented a positive step towards making EV charging infrastructure accessible for all drivers”, challenges remain for disabled drivers.

In addition, “clarity and consistency are needed” and procuring charge points “that meet the physical design requirement” is difficult. On-street charging presents unique issues due to the variability of residential environments, and “drivers need better access to data”.

According to the BSI, “The Technical Working Group’s recommendations and proposed plan mark a pivotal step towards creating a network that truly works for everyone.

“By refining the standard and addressing practical challenges, we can move closer to an inclusive, future-ready charging ecosystem that supports all drivers.”

CIHT said the invitation to the working group was timely, as they are working on, “developing a practical, comprehensive report designed to serve as a ‘go-to’ resource for local authorities and other stakeholders involved in the rollout of public EV charging infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, a lack of EV smart charging was explored in a report by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) earlier in the year.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero commissioned EST to undertake the research and they made some interesting findings, particularly on smart charging.

Overall, it was found that “awareness and understanding of smart charging is fairly low amongst consumers, employees and fleet managers”, suggesting that for all the increasing popularity of EVs, there’s still plenty of work to do for a rounded education. The chief sources of advice on smart charging, meanwhile, were energy suppliers, online EV forums, and friends and family. 

Read more: CIHT joins Working Group on Accessible EV Charging Infrastructure.

The CIHT report will be published early next year.