Is the electric car transition excluding disabled drivers?

The UK is charging ahead with electric cars – but disabled drivers may be left on the sidelines. Here’s why accessibility gaps need to be addressed.

Whether you love them or loathe them, electric cars are here to stay. A fair share of disabled drivers say they’re keen to make the switch, but are concerned about how accessible charging infrastructure is.

Electric cars accounted for 23.4% of new registrations in 2025, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). So, with EV adoption rising and the government pushing towards its net zero targets, the conversation is no longer just about sustainability – it’s about who gets to benefit from it.

With more EV charging points popping up across towns and cities, this issue matters more than ever. Decisions being made now – by government and industry – about where chargers go and how easy they are to use will determine whether electric driving works for everyone, or only for those who already find it easy to get around.

Read on for more information on the accessibility gap, the policy and tech implications, and how policymakers can adapt their strategies to become more inclusive.

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The promise of EVs vs the reality

Electric cars are getting a lot of attention, and for good reason. They’re better for the environment – for example, a Tesla Model 3 cuts lifetime CO2 emissions by around half compared to an equivalent petrol car. They’re cheaper to run too; a Nissan Leaf costs just a few pence per mile to charge, potentially saving hundreds of pounds a year. And many are packed with tech, such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s giant touchscreen and smart driver-assist features that make driving easier and more fun.

But here’s the thing: not everyone can enjoy these benefits just yet. Carwow recently did a survey on members of Purpl, the UK’s first dedicated discount programme designed specifically for people living with disabilities. And in the survey, we found that over 62% of its members are interested in electric cars, yet 26% say they’re held back by concerns about charging accessibility.

This is backed up by another survey published by Motability in June 2025, which found that, due to issues with public charging, 65% of their customers would not move to an electric car unless there was no other option.

What makes things more challenging are what some call “charging deserts.” That’s areas – often rural or in the North and South West – where chargers are hard to reach, not designed for accessibility, or just inconvenient for people with certain mobility needs.

The recent Carwow survey of Purpl members highlights the problem. Almost half (48.8%) of disabled motorists feel the charging network isn’t friendly to them, while over a quarter (28.2%) say poor accessibility at charging stations is a top challenge.

One Purpl member, Denise, told Carwow that she doesn’t want to go fully electric and “will try to remain with petrol for as long as I can.” Meanwhile, Jack, who also participated in the Carwow survey, described having an “awful” experience with an electric car, saying: “The charging was so long and so inaccessible for me.”

The survey found that lots of people who want to switch to EVs feel they are being left out. That’s not because they don’t care about the environment, but because the network isn’t built with them in mind.

The charging barriers faced by disabled drivers

Charging at motorway and major A-road services can be stressful for many drivers. For drivers living with disabilities, however, it’s often harder, as many charging facilities are not designed with their needs in mind.

A 2023 motorway services user survey by independent watchdog Transport Focus found that nearly one in three drivers arrive feeling tired, stressed or frustrated – and poor charging infrastructure can quickly make this worse.

Many charging bays do not provide enough space to move around the vehicle, making charging difficult or impossible for drivers with reduced mobility or wheelchair users, the Transport Focus report found. Kerbs, bollards and raised plinths create further barriers, while waiting for specific bays adds to stress.

One Purpl member in Carwow’s survey, Andi, echoed this: “Electric charging point bays are sometimes small and difficult to navigate. I need to open my door fully to use my crutches to get in and out of the car.”

Meanwhile, Purpl member Alan describes electric cars as a “nuisance” in the Carwow survey. “How do disabled people manage to plug that heavy inaccessible cable in?”

Sophia Kleanthous, senior public affairs and campaigns officer at the disabled-led group Transport for All, raised other issues disabled motorists have voiced. “Cables are too heavy to lift; screens and card readers are often hard to see or reach because of poor positioning, glare, low lighting or damage; and parking bays often lack dropped kerbs. Even the information needed to easily find an accessible chargepoint is missing.”

Unreliable or broken chargepoints are a common problem. Drivers are not always warned in advance, leading to delays and repeated attempts to start charging. This is particularly stressful for neurodivergent users who rely on predictability and careful planning.

One disabled motorist told Transport Focus in its report that it’s “stressful having to find a different chargepoint and challenge a driver occupying a space I need.”

Graham Footer, CEO of charity Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK), mirrored this, saying that the lack of accessible public charging makes longer journeys for disabled drivers “extremely stressful”.

“Disabled motorists tend to plan journeys carefully,” he said. “Over 90% of our members plan routes in advance, including rest stops and accessible facilities. With petrol or diesel vehicles, services like Fuel Service exist. There’s no equivalent for EV charging.”

Even these services aren’t perfect, though. Another disabled motorist in the Carwow-Purpl survey, Agatha, explained that fuelling up is especially challenging for her and says that many staff using the FuelService app are “rude, uninterested, and unwilling to help,” so she relies on friends or family instead.

“I’d love to drive electric, but I have no idea how I’d manage charging, given how hard it already is to organise for someone else to fuel me up every two weeks,” she added. “How would I manage a longer solo journey, for instance? Driving is freeing for me and gives me so much independence, but we have so far to go.”

The wider site environment can also make charging harder. Busy car parks often lack clear queuing systems, safe waiting areas and accessible routes to facilities, according to the report. Poor lighting, uneven surfaces and chargers located far from amenities can leave users feeling unsafe, especially at night.

Finally, on-site help is often limited or unclear. Disabled drivers are more likely to need assistance, yet support is not always available or staff may not know how to help. As a result, many users are left relying on other motorists for assistance.

Why we need to address exclusion

The move to electric cars is meant to make driving cleaner, cheaper, and better for everyone. But many disabled motorists have told us it doesn’t feel that way. When EVs and charging networks aren’t designed with everyone in mind, people are quietly pushed to the edges of the transition.

Disabled Motoring UK, which has over 20,000 members, says that while chargers are being installed at pace, accessibility is being “overlooked”.

Roughly 40% of its members live in homes where they cannot install a home charger, meaning they rely entirely on public infrastructure, according to DMUK research. But at present, this infrastructure is “nowhere near ready”.

“The industry hasn’t fully woken up to this issue,” Footer told Carwow. “If it doesn’t address accessibility now, it will have to be retrofitted later, which will cost significantly more. At the moment, it feels very short-sighted.”

Leaving people out will also have knock-on effects. If switching to an EV isn’t realistic, disabled drivers can miss out on government support, lower running costs, and the freedom that reliable personal transport brings. Over time, this risks creating a system where some people are helped to move forward, while others are left relying on older, more expensive, or less practical options.

“There’s a definite risk of disabled drivers being left behind if charging accessibility and costs aren’t addressed,” said Jonathan Jenkins, head of electric at Motability Operations, which is responsible for the Motability Scheme.

“Currently, Motability customers are slower to adopt EVs than the mass market – due in part to pricing uncertainty and charging barriers.”

Jenkins added that only around 30% of Motability customers would consider an EV for their next vehicle, compared with 45% of the general public; home charging and local infrastructure are top concerns. Once customers do switch, however, 85% say they are satisfied. “Our responsibility – and that of the industry – is to support this transition by improving infrastructure and information.”

There’s the bigger picture too. The UK’s net-zero plans rely on as many people as possible being able to make the switch. If a sizeable group simply can’t, progress slows – and the transition starts to feel unfair and out of touch with everyday life.

What can the government and industry do?

Some charging providers are already proving that more accessible EV charging doesn’t have to be difficult by taking practical steps to improve the experience. For example, the Osprey Charging Network incorporates feedback from drivers with mobility requirements to ensure user comfort and safety, while Kerbo Charge has developed “Kerbo Glide,” a handheld, wheeled, plough-like device that clips onto charging cables, allowing users to insert them into pavement channels without bending or kneeling.

Take bigger charging bays. A number of motorway service stations now offer bays with more space around the car, making it easier to get in and out, use mobility aids, or move safely. They may not tick every accessibility box, but they’re a clear improvement. And they work better for everyone, not just disabled motorists.

Then there’s the simple win of marking broken chargers properly. Covers that clearly show a chargepoint is out of order save drivers from pulling in, getting out of the car, and only then realising they’ve wasted their time. For disabled motorists, that extra effort can be more than just an inconvenience. Clearer signs could solve this.

On-site help matters too. Charging cables can be heavy and awkward, and not everyone can use them easily. At a small number of motorway and A-road sites, trained staff are available to help if needed. When that support is visible and reliable, it gives disabled drivers confidence they won’t be left struggling.

The problem is that these fixes are scattered and inconsistent. Whether charging is accessible still depends on who runs the site, and where you happen to stop.

If the government and industry are serious about everyone switching to electric, this can’t be left to chance. Setting clear expectations and back-proven solutions, as well as rolling out good practice across the network would be a strong start.

Meanwhile, Footer says the most important step is to mandate PAS 1899. This standard, developed by Motability Foundation and the British Standards Institution (BSI), provides specifications to support the creation of an inclusive EV charging infrastructure.

There are just under three million Blue Badge holders compared to over 42 million vehicles on our roads, according to the latest government statistics. Footer argues that the provision of parking spaces for Blue Badge holders should be roughly proportional.

“We’re not saying every charger must be accessible, but if you have a bank of 10 chargers, at least two should be. Accessibility should be a percentage requirement,” he added.
Kleanthous at Transport for All mirrored this, saying: “The government must step in now to enforce standards such as PAS 1899 into law. Disabled motorists shouldn’t be locked out of the future because our access is treated as optional.”

What does the ideal accessible EV charging point look like?

For accessible EV charging to work at scale, clarity and consistency are key. That’s where PAS 1899 comes in. This standard sets out things such as:

• Plug sockets and cable holders must be between 80cm and 95cm high so they are easy to reach for everyone.
• It should not take more than 60N of force to pull the cable or unplug the connector, making it easier for people with less strength.
• There must be at least 1.2m of flat space in front of the charger so a wheelchair user can move and get close to it.
• Screens must tilt upward between 0° and 20° to reduce glare and make them easier to read from different heights.
• If there is a kerb or barrier in the way, the charger parts must be within 22cm of the edge so you don’t have to lean too far.

In practice, many of the features that make charging more accessible also make it better for the mass market. Drive-through bays, wider spaces and the removal of bollards all reduce friction for EV drivers. Payment terminals should be positioned at accessible heights, while canopies and nearby accessible toilets can make a significant difference, particularly on longer journeys.

Location matters too. “Charging points are often placed at the back of car parks, which can be less accessible,” said Jenkins. “Putting them closer to entrances helps many users, including disabled drivers, families with children and people carrying shopping.”

Ultimately, accessibility should be seen as an enabler rather than a niche requirement. “Nothing we’re talking about is only necessary for disabled users,” Jenkins argued. “Designing for accessibility makes charging simpler, safer and more convenient for everyone – and that’s what will support mass-market EV adoption.”

EV charging should work for everyone

Charging up an electric car isn’t just about saving a few quid to run it – it’s about making sure everyone can reap the benefits, no matter their circumstances. Step-free charging stations, clearly marked spots, and user-friendly connectors are a few of the practical things that would make charging easier for disabled motorists.

Car manufacturers, city planners, and policymakers have a real opportunity to make sure that charging infrastructure works for all drivers. And thoughtful and inclusive design can make the switch to electric a lot more convenient for everyone.

The success of the EV transition highly depends on accessibility. After all, a greener future works best when everyone can take part.

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