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Well Autocar and on disabled Driver are saying that EV unless you can charge at home are a major problem for disabled and we have been left behind in EV territory.I and others have noticed this and hence why I did not yet want an EV and I do not have nothing against them just that as said cables too heavy for me the kerbs and layout you cannot guarantee so making them at this time unusable if leaving home unless you have an able bodied person to help then for me being independent they would not work for me.
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I wouldn’t go as far as not fit for purpose but there has been a noticeable lack of consideration of the needs of disabled drivers.
There’s a British Standard that they’re supposed to follow as championed by Motability but all installs done prior to the and, shamefully, too many after have ignored the requirements. Whether it’s increased risk to machinery or the desire to squeeze in that extra charger there’s always a ‘reason’ why there isn’t a number of proper wider blue bay charger spots with access suitable for all disabled users.
Then there’s the ignorance of other users, there’s zero chance on a busy day they’re leaving a wider access space free just in case a blue badge holder needs to charge.
Apparently there are assurances that the new protection for cables doesn’t make them even harder to handle.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Yes the charging infrastructure is not particularly disabled friendly. You do see a few disabled charging bays, I’ve seen wide bays at Frankley, Gloucester North & South on the M5 and Grantham services on the A1.
Though I would say home charging is easier, Mrs Joe is a wheelchair user and she can plug the car in at home, she wouldn’t be able to use a public charger, but then she couldn’t fill up with petrol either.
It’s no different from petrol stations though??
My local asda unmanned petrol stations has a button for disabled assistance, as does most stations.
If you are having problems ask! I saw one guy couldn’t get the ev plug out of his car and 3 people stopped to help, he never asked him, they just went and helped.
There is common sense and some people just pick nonsense and run with it.
If you have trouble at a petrol station or an EV charger, people will come and help you.
It’s no different from petrol stations though?? My local asda unmanned petrol stations has a button for disabled assistance, as does most stations. If you are having problems ask! I saw one guy couldn’t get the ev plug out of his car and 3 people stopped to help, he never asked him, they just went and helped. There is common sense and some people just pick nonsense and run with it. If you have trouble at a petrol station or an EV charger, people will come and help you.
The problem is that unlike petrol stations there aren’t the buttons and there’s often nowhere for staff to appear from. Whilst there are frequently people who will spot someone struggling and help out, you shouldn’t have to rely on a helpful stranger for something that could be manageable for most disabled people.
There needs to be some consideration as to how those unable to deal with either the chargers or the cables could be assisted by staff on site. I know currently that the new Winchester charging hub has a security guard wondering the site and there’s a solution for 2 problems in one paid person.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Not fit for purpose is a bit strong… not perfect and can always be improved is more like it 🤷♂️ same as getting petrol or going shopping 🤔
I remember when they used to put the EV chargers in disabled bays so they had to be shared which ment disabled drivers in an ICE or able-bodied drivers in an EV arguing over parking bays.
Now the rapid charging network is vastly improved but I do think home charging needs to be addressed. How often are we reading about delays from housing associations in allowing chargers to be fitted, or people in flats with dedicated parking not able to even get a 3 pin socket installed.
There are challenges for multiple occupancy buildings. The absolute ideal would be some clever method to add usage to the domestic bill, maybe via a smart meter connection but that’s so difficult to keep secure although would maximise the efficiency of charging.
Any solution that includes business supply results in increased costs, even if they don’t add a profit margin.
If you have a building with a large, flat roof, then solar could be a solution, including for common service areas. Then charging via batteries could be costed at installation costs plus a little margin?
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
The problem with multi occupancy buildings such as flats is, the parking space is often some way away from the actual flat, along with parking spaces in many instances aren’t designated. This makes it difficult to get a charger anywhere near where the car is parked and god forbid if you live anywhere but on the ground floor. Communal area’s both inside and outside the buiding, becomes a mjaor problem for a tenant to run cables.
That leave’s limited options for the tenant who must rely on the landlord or landowner to impicate measures of choosing what they think is the most suitable way forward. Even though there are infrastructure grants available, there is no law yet to mandate landlords to install in existing buildings, as there is with any newbuild after 2022 (blame the goverment)
When does become law, which Ive heard is later this year, early next, it will be interesting what landlord/landowners will choose to do:
1) I can see the large multi site owners washing their hands with it and have an external company to install and take over the chargers, with a percentage cut for the landlord/landowner. This will remain near to or as expensive as public charging.
2) Small to medium landlord/landowners will take a mixed approach, both similar to above and also taking control of their own charging, by installing fast rather than rapid chargers on sites that have the equivulent of one stop shops on site.
During the last quarter of 2023, I tendered to a local HA I do bits for, to install two RFID 7.4kW chargers on a ground floor flat converted into one of these one stop shops as a trial. Cut to the chase, from memory were going to charge a flat rate of £25 for an RFID card and £45 for the yearly mainainence of the charger by their own electricians. Electricity would be charged at cost, which in itself, I thought was a farish deal. However, like all HA’s, LA’s, they trial in places where tennants either run about in bangers or on pushbikes, Ive only ever seen small vans owned by the HA charging their and to this day no more contracts have being put out for tender!
I suspect multi occupancy will be partially affected by the old chicken/egg problem, not many flats with EVs because of charging issues so no real demand for chargers. Landlords only want to spend the bare minimum so will wait until they are either forced by law (and enforcement) or until demand is sufficient that there’s reason (and profit) to going through with the install.
It’s easy for HAs with houses to look good and install chargers for these houses. However, most occupants of their flats aren’t particularly likely to have an EV within the next decade unless through the Scheme.
When I think of city living, with blocks of flats or converted houses into flats or houses of multiple occupancy then the parking situation is usually inadequate just for flat numbers and parking space. Add in the EV situation and there’s no chance these can be retrofitted in any hurry. Even in converted houses with the front gardens converted to parking it’s doubtful a landlord would be keen on fitting a charger. How it would work where the occupants are effectively freeholders and leaseholders (leaseholder flats but equal share of freehold exists with all flats) I can see some dodgy installs with external cables coming from each flat’s meter and each charger locked by software or shared through one of the many apps.
The speed of these chargers isn’t really needed to be too quick, most will plug in for an overnight low to full charge if they’re paying even a commercial electric tariff, they’ll still cope with the same charging practices as the rest of us with domestic tariffs, if that was remotely possible. The usual 7.4kWh chargers would be perfectly adequate in all cases.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
I think it is totally justifiable to say EV charging unless from home is not fit for disabled as I for one could not manage the heavy cable and not only that if it is pouring with rain snow cold hanging around waiting to charge is totally not on I know there are some covered charging stations but it is where you are and need to charge. As for petrol stations I have the app for getting assistance and they come out and fill up my car, also have the kiosk my Hailo on my keyring. Even if you can get someone to help do all this for you the cable has to be taken out and there is the hanging around issue which for me in petrol or a hybrid self charging car it is in and out petrol station in mins. So not fit for my disabiliy.
Not fit for some but not all. As disabilities differ from person to person and so do attitudes.
Many like myself don’t want assistance but want to be able to do it ourselves, even though it’s not easy. There’s a wheelchair user on YouTube and he highlights some of the issues he faces, in his videos. So I totally get what your saying.
More needs to be done, but then how often can you not find a disabled parking spot. So I tend go shopping later in the evening when there’s no issue finding one. Ev charging bays will be the same and truth be told.
I don’t find it any harder or heavier than using a petrol pump and the tethered home charger is really light and easy to use, over an untethered. Which is where I do most of my charging. Although it is a struggle for me, using rapid chargers. But for some like yourself, You might need to go to bigger hubs, over smaller ones, that offer more services.
One cannot expect every charging site to have assistance on hand, but I do feel that’s where people should help others and solve these issues.
Most cars now from 10% to 80% on superfast chargers take 30 mins or on some even less with 800v. So again that’s not really the issue, it was beforehand.
The model is very different from the petrol one and that has Benefits and negatives and I do feel that’s what people need to understand better. Things have improved and is one reason I decided this time an EV was better for me than a petrol.
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