EV charger boom exposes UK’s accessibility divide

West Northamptonshire Council is spearheading a large-scale EV charging initiative by awarding a £2.85 million contract to Char.gy to install over 3,000 on-street lamp-post chargers starting mid-2026. This rollout strategically retrofits existing lamp-post infrastructure to minimize disruption and costs, with site selection driven by community input and evidence-based methods to ensure equitable access, particularly for residents without off-street parking. Funded through the UK government’s LEVI Fund alongside private investment, the project aims to dismantle barriers to EV adoption while aligning with national decarbonization goals.

In parallel, North Northamptonshire Council has partnered with Connected Kerb to deploy more than 1,500 on-street EV charging sites over the next three to five years, focusing explicitly on enhancing accessibility for EV owners lacking private parking. This collaboration underscores a regional commitment to expanding smart, electric mobility infrastructure that supports inclusive access to charging facilities.

Oxfordshire County Council is advancing its EV infrastructure by planning to double its existing charging capacity with over 1,500 new public sockets by mid-2028, prioritizing residents without off-street parking. The rollout involves partnerships with Connected Kerb and EZ-Charge, who will install on-street chargers and EV hubs in council car parks, respectively. Funded by central government grants and private investment, the initiative emphasizes dedicated EV charging-only bays equipped mainly with 7kW AC chargers designed for slower, near-home charging rather than rapid top-ups.

Believ, fully funding and leading a partnership with Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority supported by Virgin Media O2, is set to install 1,300 EV charge points targeting residents without private charging, including underserved rural areas. Scheduled to begin at the end of September 2026, this rollout focuses on long-stay and overnight use with standard chargers that comply with PAS1899:2022 standards and support contactless payments, ensuring an inclusive and accessible charging network. Collaboration with Torridge District Council will see chargers deployed across 11 car parks with varying charging speeds, reflecting a comprehensive local authority partnership approach.

In July 2026, UK Power Networks significantly enhanced its ChargePoint Navigator tool to streamline EV infrastructure planning by automating the assessment of connection viability. This upgrade provides local authorities with clearer insights into costs, eligibility, and timelines, thereby smoothing pre-connection processes and empowering more informed decision-making. By integrating user feedback, the tool has also optimized site selection and fostered more effective collaboration between councils and charge point operators, accelerating the rollout of EV charge points across the UK.

The expanded reach of ChargePoint Navigator now encompasses 108 local authorities across the UK, including Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, marking a significant step toward nationwide support for EV infrastructure deployment. This broad adoption reflects the tool’s growing influence in unifying diverse regional efforts and enhancing the inclusivity of on-street EV charging infrastructure planning across the entire UK.

By mid-2026, despite a doubling in the number of UK councils offering accessible EV chargers—from 24 in 2025 to 49—and a rise in chargers located in disabled bays from 105 to 245 since 2024, a striking 75% of councils still lack on-street EV charging points compliant with PAS 1899:2022 standards. This reveals a persistent and widespread deficiency in inclusive EV infrastructure, with only about 15% of on-street chargers adapted for disabled users and a mere 14% meeting official accessibility guidance, underscoring the urgent need for systemic improvements.

Geographical disparities in accessible EV charging infrastructure remain stark, with London leading the pack by a wide margin—boasting 2,131 accessible chargers—while regions like the North West and Scotland lag significantly behind, with just 43 and 14 respectively. This uneven distribution highlights regional inequality in EV accessibility, raising concerns about equitable access for disabled drivers across the UK and emphasizing the need for targeted policy and investment to bridge these gaps.

Industry leaders and government bodies alike stress that accessibility must be embedded from the outset in EV charging infrastructure design to ensure inclusivity is not an afterthought. Vauxhall’s Managing Director Eurig Druce asserts, 'accessibility should be built into public charging infrastructure from the outset,' while the Department for Transport has pioneered the world’s first accessibility design standards for EV chargers, actively encouraging local authorities and operators to adopt these guidelines to foster wider uptake and inclusivity.

Practical examples of inclusive design, such as Dundee’s Clepington Road charging hub, demonstrate the benefits of involving disabled motorists and disability organizations in planning. By incorporating features like longer cables, wider bays, level access, and obstacle-free layouts in line with PAS 1899:2022, such projects serve as valuable models for creating accessible EV infrastructure that meets the real needs of disabled drivers, reinforcing the importance of user-centered design in expanding equitable EV charging networks.

Geographic disparities in accessible on-street EV charging infrastructure across the UK remain stark, with London leading the pack by a wide margin. As of mid-2026, London boasts 2,131 accessible chargers, dwarfing the mere 43 in the North West and just 14 in Scotland, highlighting a deeply uneven distribution that risks leaving large swaths of the country underserved in the EV transition. This imbalance underscores the urgent need for more equitable deployment strategies to ensure all regions can support the growing number of electric vehicle users.

Despite some progress, accessibility in EV charging infrastructure is still largely treated as an afterthought rather than a foundational standard. Only about 15% of on-street chargers are adapted for disabled users, and a mere 14% comply with the British Standards Institution's PAS 1899:2022 guidance. With 75% of UK councils lacking any accessible EV chargers, industry leaders like Eurig Druce emphasize that 'accessibility should be built into public charging infrastructure from the outset, not treated as an afterthought,' a sentiment echoed by the Department for Transport urging wider adoption of these standards.

The example of Dundee’s Clepington Road charging hub illustrates how inclusive EV infrastructure can be successfully developed through collaboration with disabled motorists and advocacy groups. Featuring longer cables, wider bays, level access, and an obstacle-free layout aligned with PAS 1899:2022, this project stands as a rare but promising model for other councils. However, such inclusive design remains the exception rather than the norm, revealing a significant opportunity for local authorities to learn from pioneering efforts and close the accessibility gap nationwide.

There has been a notable increase in accessible EV charging points located within disabled parking bays, rising by over 50% since 2024. This shift reflects growing recognition of the importance of accessibility in public charging infrastructure, yet the overall number of councils providing adapted chargers remains low. Continued momentum and policy encouragement are essential to translate this positive trend into widespread, standardized accessibility across the UK’s EV charging network.

Oxfordshire County Council’s recent public consultation, open until August 7, underscores the critical role of community engagement in shaping EV infrastructure that genuinely meets resident needs. By inviting input on plans to install over 1,500 new public EV charging sockets—particularly targeting those without off-street parking through dedicated EV charging-only bays—the initiative aims to double existing capacity and promote equitable access to electric vehicle charging across the county.

This ambitious local programme exemplifies how government funding, notably central grants, combined with private sector investment from charge point operators Connected Kerb and EZ-Charge, drives the expansion of EV infrastructure aligned with the UK’s broader decarbonization targets. Such public-private partnerships not only accelerate deployment but also ensure that infrastructure growth is strategically coordinated to support the national transition to electric vehicles.