ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 69
FEATURE
TESTING THE LIMITS
cannot fully be known. Ideally, with
48.1% of UK driving license holders being
women, as of DfT data in 2022, the future
should at the very least include a few
more female crash test dummies.
The truth is, of course, that no safety
test, or infrastructure development, will
ever be perfect. There will always be
those whose bodies or needs fall outside
the realistic range, and there is only so
granular one can get before stalling
production entirely.
What is known, however, is where the
Government could step in to support
the infrastructure needed to make EV
charging accessible to all. This would be
a good place to start, particularly in the
push towards net zero.
Edmonds says: “Government should
set a clear timetable for publication of
the revised PAS 1899 standard, establish
robust and independent monitoring of
industry progress, and be transparent
about when it will use its powers if
voluntary adoption does not deliver
accessible infrastructure at scale.
“Charge-points being installed now
could remain in use for many years, and
retrofitting accessibility later can be
considerably more expensive than getting
the design right from the outset.”
Incantalupo adds: “We developed PAS
1899 with the UK Government and BSI
to provide a benchmark for accessible
Duku EV provides PAS
1899-compliant public charging
solutions featuring patented
Automatic Cable Retraction
(ARC) systems designed to meet
UK accessibility standards
public charging, informed by disabled
people’s own experiences. We are now
working with OZEV, UK Government,
industry and partners to implement
the standard and contribute to the
development of a European standard.”
There are clear next steps for the
Government to offer support to disabled
drivers contending with EV charging.
Beyond that, though, the automotive
world is changing, faster now than ever.
From daily news of EV innovation, all the
way through to the impending advent of
autonomous cars, which might change
our relationship with the road entirely.
Through all of this, one thing remains
true: passengers should not step foot in a
car unsure whether they are going to be
safe based on characteristics like gender
and disability.
Q4 2026
AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
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