Latest news with #PAS1899
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Automotive
- South Wales Argus
Newport City Council installs more electric charging points
A major part of this effort involves expanding public EV infrastructure across the Newport. In April 2025, the council began installing 98 new charging points into existing street lights, specifically targeting streets where residents lack off-street parking such as driveways or garages. These compact chargers, installed by Urban Fox, are among the first streetlight-style units in Wales and allow for network expansion without taking up significant street space. The rollout of EV infrastructure across the UK remains uneven. A recent Freedom of Information request by Compare the Market revealed stark differences between councils. Westminster City Council leads with 2,468 chargers, while Milton Keynes and Birmingham follow with 956 and 613 respectively. Newport's numbers are more modest, and the installation of new chargers has led to some loss of parking spaces, though figures have not yet been publicly disclosed. Public hesitancy around EV adoption remains high and was clearly on display when the Argus spoke to city centre shoppers. Despite the upcoming 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, 69% of UK drivers still use traditional fuel vehicles. Only 12% currently own a fully electric car, and 13% drive plug-in hybrids. Alarmingly, 47% of drivers are unaware of the 2035 ban, suggesting a lack of urgency in transitioning to cleaner transport. Cost is the biggest barrier. According to Compare the Market's research, over half of drivers say EVs are too expensive, and most would be more likely to buy one if cheaper models were available. Charging infrastructure is another concern. Around 37% of drivers say they would consider switching if more public chargers were available locally, and 30% believe public chargers should be free or subsidised. Nearly half (41%) feel there are not enough incentives, such as grants or tax exemptions, to support the switch. Even current EV owners face challenges. While 59% have installed home chargers, many still rely on public infrastructure. The average EV driver is willing to travel just over five miles to reach a charger, but issues like long wait times, slow charging speeds, and difficulties with payment systems are common. Nearly a third report being blocked by non-EV vehicles parked in charging bays, according to Compare the Market. Newport's chargers are operated by various providers, including Dragon Charging and PodPoint. Users may need a compatible plug-to-plug cable and can access chargers via RFID (Radio Frequency ID) cards or mobile apps. Costs vary by location and operator, and standard parking fees apply in off-street car parks. The council has invested in upgraded software to offer flexible payment options and user-friendly interfaces. Disabled access is also a priority. Newport complies with PAS 1899 (disability accessibility) standards where possible and is home to Wales's first EV WAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle) bay. Maintenance is handled by Silverstone Green Energy, and support is available via phone or email. To help drivers navigate the EV landscape, has launched an electric charging map showing all public chargers in the UK. This tool aims to make EV ownership more accessible and reduce confusion around infrastructure availability. Newport City Council has been asked for comment on the total number of spaces that will be rolled out and how many parking spaces could be lost. For more information, visit the Energy Saving Trust, Dragon Charging.
Scotsman
04-08-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Let's make Scotland's transport future work for everyone
More must be done to give disabled people access to EV chargepoints Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Stand and watch the traffic on any road in Scotland and you'll see the change for yourself. Once a lesser-spotted breed, electric vehicles (EVs) are now a common sight on the country's highways and bypasses. Delivering his Programme for Government this year, First Minister John Swinney committed to introducing a new rural and island EV infrastructure grant, which will support the aim of having 24,000 additional public charging points by 2030. Meanwhile, Transport Scotland has announced £20 million in 2025-26 to encourage and enable more households and businesses with lower incomes to buy EVs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad These are welcome steps. But the EV transition must be fair – and right now, it isn't. Too many charging points are inaccessible to disabled people (Picture: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images) As manufacturers move production to electric, Motability Operations is working to ensure disabled people, including over 87,800 customers in Scotland, are not left by behind. However, our recent EV Transition Tracker found that while 40 per cent of Scottish drivers feel nervous about going electric, the worry is even worse for disabled drivers, with 71 per cent believing they'll only switch when they have no other choice. The reasons are clear. For too many disabled people, public charging simply isn't accessible. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Through a community of over 1,000 drivers on the Motability Scheme, we've gathered detailed, first-hand experiences of public EV charging across Scotland. The issues are widespread and persistent: bays that are too small for wheelchair users, charging cables that are too heavy, and instructions that are too difficult to follow. It's not just frustrating for users; it's a barrier to independence. But fortunately, this is a solvable problem. Almost three years ago, the Motability Foundation worked with the British Standards Institution to publish PAS 1899, a national accessibility standard for public EV chargepoints. It sets out minimum requirements – such as bay sizing, lighting, signage, and equipment usability – to ensure chargepoints are accessible to disabled people. Positively, Transport Scotland is already using PAS 1899 to assess local authority requests for chargepoint funding, and a revised version of the accessibility standard is expected next year, following further consultation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But here's the issue: the standard remains voluntary. There is no legal requirement for charging providers to follow it. It is our view that PAS 1899 must be made mandatory, ensuring that every new public chargepoint meets basic accessibility criteria. The charging network is growing rapidly – and if we don't legislate now, we'll lock in years of inaccessible infrastructure that will be costly and difficult to retrofit when the problem at hand is finally acknowledged. It's not enough to hit charge point installation targets. If people can't use the infrastructure, we're not solving the right problem. However, the solution is within reach and by making accessibility a requirement, Scotland can lead the way in building an EV network that works for everyone and ensures that no one is left behind. It's time we build a system that enables every driver, regardless of their circumstances, to keep moving forward.
Auto Express
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
UK EV charger boom is leaving disabled drivers behind
The number of on-street chargers has leapt up by 27 per cent in the last year, however, only a third of councils have installed ones that conform to important accessibility guidelines, once again leaving disabled drivers out of the loop. A Freedom of Information request submitted by Vauxhall as part of its Electric Streets campaign found that as many as 38 per cent of local councils across the UK do not offer on-street EV chargepoints that conform with the PAS 1899:2022 accessibility standards. Advertisement - Article continues below It's also worth pointing out that, while the above may sound sensationalist – after all, 62 per cent of councils do technically offer accessible charging – only 2.2 per cent of all the UK's public chargers adhere to PAS guidelines, meaning there'll be very few accessible ones in each area PAS 1899:2022, while not enshrined in law, essentially asks chargepoint operators (CPOs) to ensure their devices are placed at a height appropriate for wheelchair users, are not too heavy to manipulate and are in an accessible area with plenty of space to manoeuvre, say, a mobility scooter. Graham Footer, chief executive of Disabled Motoring UK, said that the findings are 'unsurprising', and that the campaign group is "deeply concerned by the almost complete lack of PAS-compliant public charging infrastructure'. Footer explained that 40 per cent of disabled drivers the charity surveyed did not live in accommodation suited to home EV charger installation, meaning they would have to rely on public infrastructure – something that would not be compatible with many of their physical needs. 'The government's promise was that no one would be left behind in the transition to green energy, but it is completely obvious that disabled motorists are indeed being left behind in the transition to EVs,' Footer said, urging No 10 to 'act now and address this failure before it's too late'. Auto Express has approached the government's Disability Unit for comment, but is yet to receive a response. In the meantime, this data comes only months after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published its report into the UK's EV charger rollout, which concluded that the current situation is in danger of creating 'inequalities in the cost of driving'. The government is also yet to publish the results of its review into PAS 1899:2022, despite it now being around two-and-a-half years after its initial introduction. Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express ? We'll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too .
