ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 68
FEAT U R E
TESTING THE LIMITS
the point of entering their vehicle. These
days, manufacturers are creating cars
that are proactive and high-tech when
it comes to detecting road hazards and
alerting the driver to potential dangers.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
(ADAS), for example, provide finely tuned
safety features.
Nevertheless, the – in some cases quite
literal – bells and whistles, come with
their own safety concerns, such as that
the myriad alerts might be distracting for
all but the most focus-minded drivers.
Wakefield also points to the example
of the steering wheel recalibrating if
the car detects that the driver is lane
swerving. This can have the opposite
effect if the car over-calibrates, to the
point where it can cause more harm than
it is preventing.
EV accessibility
Across the automotive industry, every
conversation – from design to driveability
– is increasingly centred around
electric vehicles. Beyond range and
battery health, a lesser-discussed topic
accessible infrastructure for EV owners.
Vicky Edmonds, CEO at EVA England,
warns that “only around 2% of public
charge-points are considered fully
accessible, while [our] research found
that 47% of EV drivers have experienced
some form of accessibility issue.”
Edmonds has been advocating for this
conversation to be more widespread,
and for public EV charger accessibility to
be improved.
She says: “Accessibility also exposes
a wider accountability problem.
Drivers still lack a clear, independent
route for complaints and resolution
when public charging does not meet
expected standards.”
Edmonds adds: “Accessibility is about
the whole charging experience: whether
a driver can park appropriately, move
safely around the vehicle, reach the
charging port, use the charger and
payment terminal, and complete a
charge independently.
“Problems reported by drivers include
charger positioning, bollards and narrow
footpaths, cable handling, screen height
and kerbs. This really matters – it can
make the difference between someone
feeling confident enough to buy and use
an EV or not.”
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
Q4 2026
Sean Incantalupo, transport
solutions manager at the Motability
Foundation, says: “Our research shows
that accessibility is about the whole
charging experience – from parking and
accessing the charge-point, to handling
cables and connectors, reaching screens
and controls, and making payments
independently.”
On a recent episode of the Automotive
Business Podcast, Graham O’Reilly, cofounder of EV Cables, shared that the
traditional charging cable is extremely
heavy, using the example of his mother
being unable to pick it up.
Whether due to age, injury or disability,
this can affect the ease of EV ownership,
adding yet more barriers to the UK’s
push towards electrification. These
might seem like peripheral matters, but
should arguably be tested alongside invehicle technology to ensure safety and
accessibility for all drivers, not just those
that fit a certain mould.
Incantalupo adds: “With the sale of
new petrol and diesel cars in the UK due
to end in 2030, it’s more important than
ever to ensure that disabled people are
not left behind in this transition to EVs.”
PAS 1899:2022, the UK's specification
for building an inclusive and accessible
public charging infrastructure, is a
step in the right direction, according
to Edmonds, providing “the main
accessibility standard for public chargepoints, covering areas including bay size,
charger positioning, displays and cables.”
However, it remains voluntary.
Edmonds says: “That is why EVA England
campaigned through the Planning and
Infrastructure Bill for Government to
have powers to intervene if voluntary
progress fails.
“The resulting legislation now gives
Government powers to mandate
accessibility requirements where
necessary. But it has been almost a
year since the passing of that legislation
and we are still waiting for an update
standard that industry can comply with
to be published.
“With more and more charge-points
going in the ground every day, we cannot
afford these ongoing delays.”
Next steps
What the future holds for diversity in
vehicle safety testing and development
