Workplace charging should be accessible, says VWFS Fleet

Fleets are being urged to consider accessibility when installing charge points for electric vehicles (EVs) on business premises.

Charge points on company sites are not governed by the same regulations as the public charging network.

However, Volkswagen Financial Services Fleet (VWFS Fleet) says businesses should still ensure they are doing the right thing when it comes to making charging a positive experience for all company car and commercial van drivers, as well as other employees who might want to charge an EV on company premises.

There are around 14 million disabled people in the UK, and estimates state that, by 2033, there will be around 2.7 million disabled drivers, many of whom will be employed and commuting in an EV and will need access to onsite accessible charging.

David Watts, Fleet EV product manager at VWFS Fleet, says that, while “stringent” rules have been introduced to ensure all users, whether able-bodied and disabled or with any other type of accessibility needs, can quickly and simply charge their vehicles, they are not mandatory for workplaces.

The standard, known as PAS 1899:2022, was published last year. 

“While the standard is not, at this point, mandatory for charge points installed on private or business premises, there is nothing to say that its provision won’t be extended in the future," said Watts.

“In any case, companies would be well-advised to consider the guidance contained in PAS 1899:2022 when installing EV charge points on their premises to make EV charging accessible for all.”

The British Standards Institute (BSI) currently recommends that workplaces should provide at least one accessible parking bay per disabled employee, alongside a minimum of 5% of the total parking capacity of visiting drivers. Watts believes at least the same level of provision should be available for workplace EV charging spaces.

“If you’re planning workplace charge point installations – whether that’s for depot charging or individual employee car charging – adhering to public charging accessibility standards for workplace charging will allow disabled people, or those with accessibility needs, to use charge points in the same way they do any other equipment in the workplace,” he concluded.