If electric vehicles are the future for everyone – does that include wheelchair users?

21st Oct 2021

As a wheelchair user, do you feel like you are being left out of the electric vehicle revolution?

With the Government banning the sale of new combustion engine vehicles from 2030, there is no doubt that EVs will continue to rise in popularity and will be one of the pillars of our future. However, there are barely any used wheelchair accessible electric vehicles on the market for people with mobility problems or disabilities.

One hurdle is fitting electric vehicles with ramps, which will be difficult due to current vehicle architecture. Most electric vehicles use a so-called 'skateboard architecture', which includes the battery pack, the electric drivetrain, and the electrical architecture that resides underneath the vehicle's floor. This is an issue because a majority of wheelchair accessible vehicles have the floor lowered to house the wheelchair.

Weight could also become an issue because WAVs with their lifts, ramps and winches can add to the van's overall weight and make it heavier than a standard vehicle. A heavier van is going to result in a reduced journey range for the electric vehicle's battery.

ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING

Conversions are not the only possible barriers for the disabled community wanting to enter the electric vehicle market. A four-year study by Zap-Map found that a third of disabled people surveyed had challenges locating a suitable charger that could meet their needs. One in seven noted their particular difficulties with the weight of charging cables.

Like smartphone and laptop batteries, high-power charging creates plenty of heat in the cable, which is why they are customarily insulated and liquid-cooled. This makes the cables heavier and problematic to manoeuvre.

SHORTAGE OF DROPPED KERBS AN ISSUE

Other problems include the necessary force needed to connect the cables to the EV, the shortage of dropped kerbs to access the charging station, and accessible parking spaces squeezed too closely together. Hopefully, as electric vehicles become cheaper and more prevalent, charging station companies will ditch the current side-by-side setup to support disabled drivers.

However, unless the Government brings in legislation, the prospect of leaving accessibility to the UK’s expanding public charge point network in the hands of commercial businesses is a severe concern for the Disability Rights UK charity.

Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at the charity, said, “Installing charging points for EVs is supplying a service and is therefore incorporated by the Equality Act, which requires service providers to consider the requirements of disabled customers.”

Mr Hadi added, “Charging points should be accessible to wheelchair users, those with dexterity issues and people with sensory impairments. Those commissioning charging points without considering their duties under the Equality Act are breaking the law.

"The Government needs to take urgent action to stop thousands of inaccessible charging points from being installed. Neglecting the requirements of disabled drivers is utterly shocking, and it’s turning the clock back.”

FURTHER BARRIERS TO PURCHASING ELECTRIC VEHICLE WAVs

Other barriers could deter wheelchair users from taking up electric vehicles. Recently, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) partnered with the DMUK charity to investigate the accessibility of the electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. Their research interviewed disabled motorists and automotive industry experts to establish the challenges disabled motorists face when switching to an EV.

Some of the critical barriers to the uptake of electric vehicles included:

Costs, including high upfront costs and additional costs for modifications
Range anxiety, including ensuring disabled motorists do not become vulnerable if their EV runs out of charge
Diverse manufacturers and charging compatibilities mean that drivers have to seek specific guidance and support

WavMob

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