The UK’s EV charging gap is leaving disabled drivers behind

Three in four UK councils still have no accessible on-street electric car chargers for disabled motorists, despite the number of councils providing them doubling over the past year, according to new research.

The study found that 75% of councils do not provide a single on-street charge point that has either been specifically adapted for disabled drivers or meets the British Standards Institution’s PAS 1899:2022 accessibility standard.

Based on Vauxhall’s latest Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to councils across the UK, the findings highlight the scale of the accessibility gap.

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Of the 194 councils that responded to the FOI request, just 49 said they now have accessible on-street charge points, up from 24 last year.

While that shows some encouraging progress, it also means the vast majority of local authorities are yet to provide charging infrastructure designed with disabled motorists in mind.

There are signs, however, that accessibility is improving.

The number of on-street EV chargers located within disabled parking bays has more than doubled since 2024, increasing from 105 to 245.

Around 15% of on-street chargers are also now specifically adapted for disabled drivers, while 14% meet the PAS 1899:2022 accessibility standard.

However, the research suggests provision remains heavily dependent on where drivers live.

London is far ahead of the rest of the UK, with 2,131 accessible on-street chargers, compared with just 43 across the North West and only 14 in Scotland, highlighting what many disabled motorists describe as a “postcode lottery”.

Eurig Druce, managing director of Vauxhall, said: “The fact that three-quarters of councils still do not provide chargers specifically adapted for disabled drivers, or chargers that meet recognised accessibility standards, shows how much further there is to go.

“As more people switch to electric vehicles, accessibility must be built into public charging from the start, not treated as an afterthought.”

The research forms part of Vauxhall’s ongoing Electric Streets of Britain campaign, which aims to improve access to residential charging for households without driveways.

The campaign also highlights safer charging solutions. Vauxhall says 7% of councils still allow drivers to trail charging cables across pavements using cable covers, while 42% of councils are expected to offer cross-pavement charging solutions by the end of 2026.

You can register your need for on-street residential EV charging through Electric Streets of Britain, with more than 12,500 streets already nominated.

More than 500 respondents have told Vauxhall they require accessible charging, with the data being shared with councils to help with future charging plans.

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