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The first documented accessibility testing of the EV charging networks across England & Europe

Twenty-four charging sessions. Three countries. Nearly 3,000 miles. One clear conclusion: no EV charging network used during Disabled Motoring UK's accessibility road trip was fully accessible to a disabled motorist.

The EV infrastructure sector is currently one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Despite being introduced during a period where inclusive design and accessibility are far better understood and acknowledged, accessibility has remained an afterthought rather than a core requirement. 

In May 2026 (5th-13th), Disabled Motoring UK member Anjna Patel, 68, a disabled motorist, travelled from Birmingham to Torrevieja, Spain, in a fully electric vehicle, Volkswagen ID.4, accompanied by Zoe Rush. The journey became the first documented accessibility assessment of public EV charging across England and Europe using a bespoke audit based on the Safer Parking Accessible EV Accreditation and PAS 1899:2022. 

They completed an audit at each charging location using a bespoke assessment. The audit criteria were developed with reference to the Safer Parking Accessible EV Accreditation, owned by DMUK and Police CPI, which supports the requirements of PAS1899:2022. 

They drove 2,955 miles and successfully charged at 24 chargers whilst also abandoning several chargers due to digital interface issues and full bays. A few of the well-recognised companies they charged at included Ionity, Powerdot, Siemens, Tesla, Zunder, Gridserve and Allego. 

Their findings are now available in the ‘Accessible EV Europe Road Trip’ report. The Accessible EV Europe report highlights the challenges experienced by Anjna during the trip and covers chargers in the different countries, frequent inconsistent design between chargers, individual charger audits, their best and worst charging experiences, and driving an EV as a disabled person. It also provides recommendations for physical and digital improvements to charging stations and to EVs, which they hope to engage Charge Point Operators (CPOs), local authorities, parking operators, and EV manufacturers to improve the accessibility and usability of public EV charging. 

Eleven chargers received a positive score for the overall experiences and accessibility of the bays. Some of the accessibility issues encountered during the trip include:

  • Weight of charger & cable management
  • Force required to use the chargers
  • Size of the bay 
  • Lack of waiting areas by the chargers
  • Obstacles surrounding bays, including bollards, kerbs and lack of shelter
  • Lack of on-site support, isolated locations and lack of security of the site
  • Digital interface issues - lack of buttons, font type not being accessible, confusion between phone and charge screens
  • Payment issues
  • Height of components on the charge unit not matching the audit requirements for sitting and standing use
  • Lack of sufficient shelter
  • Requiring assistance to find alternative reliable chargers via apps
  • Range anxiety was heightened by risk of the charger not working and the restriction of needing to recharge every 2 hours
  • All bays in use and lorry blocking bays
  • Designated disabled bays but with no clear signs of further accessibility thought

 Each charger review can be found within the report here.

Disabled Motoring UK CEO, Graham Footer said - "This project showed that disabled motorists can make long-distance journeys in an electric vehicle, but they often have to overcome barriers that non-disabled drivers simply don't face. We found examples of good practice, but no charging network we used was consistently accessible. We hope this report provides practical evidence that helps charge point operators, manufacturers, and policymakers make accessibility a standard feature of future EV infrastructure." 

Disabled Motoring UK hopes the findings will highlight the urgent need for inclusive EV infrastructure, increase awareness of the barriers disabled motorists continue to face, and improve confidence among disabled drivers by demonstrating that long-distance EV travel is possible. The charity is calling on charge point operators (CPOs), local authorities, EV manufacturers and policymakers to act on the report's recommendations to ensure disabled motorists are not left behind in the transition to electric vehicles.