The Motability Foundation is endorsing assessment schemes run by AccessAble, BSI Assurance UK and the British Parking Association (BPA) that check the accessibility of public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints.
The assessment schemes give industry providers and manufacturers a way of checking if their public chargepoints meet the PAS 1899 accessible charging standard.
We have previously given a one-year endorsement to AccessAble and BSI Assurance UK in October 2023 and gave organisations another opportunity to apply for endorsement in late 2024.
After evaluating all applications received, we made the decision to re-endorse assessment schemes run by AccessAble and BSI Assurance UK – and endorse BPA’s Park Access scheme for the first time, which checks chargepoints located in car parks.
Chargepoint providers, landowners, local authorities and manufacturers can contact AccessAble, BPA or BSI Assurance UK directly to arrange assessments.
The endorsements are one part of our ongoing work to support disabled people in the transition to EVs.
What is PAS 1899?
The BSI PAS 1899 standard provides industry with a clear specification for making chargepoints accessible.
The standard was created following research which found that disabled people can face a range of barriers when using EV public chargepoints. These can include the weight of charging cables, the force required to attach the connector, lack of dropped kerbs around chargepoints and unsuitable parking arrangements.
We are continuing to support the uptake of PAS 1899 and wanted to provide a way for organisations to check whether their chargepoints are meeting the accessibility standard, and help disabled people make informed decisions on where to charge their EVs with confidence.
“Improve public chargepoint accessibility”
Harry Fisher, Innovation Manager said: “We’re delighted to have awarded AccessAble, BPA and BSI Assurance UK with our endorsement for their accessible EV charging assessment schemes.
“We know from our engagement with industry that providers and manufacturers are keen to have a way of checking if their chargepoints conform with the PAS 1899 standard.
“These Motability Foundation endorsed schemes will provide that service, and we know that both AccessAble, British Parking Association and BSI Assurance have the expertise and knowledge to provide a robust and fair assessment process.
“At the Motability Foundation we are continuing to do everything we can to improve public chargepoint accessibility.”
Learn more
Results from endorsement assessments will be made freely available online, so that disabled people can make informed decisions about where to charge their electric vehicles.
For further information on our work, please visit Accessible EV Charging.