The EV infrastructure sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Despite being introduced during a period where inclusive design and accessibility are far better understood and acknowledged, accessibility has remained an afterthought rather than a core requirement.

At DMUK we wanted to document the real-life challenges of travelling abroad in an electric vehicle as a disabled person. By doing so we could highlight the urgent need for inclusive EV infrastructure to relevant departments, and improve understanding of, and confidence in, EV infrastructure among disabled drivers ahead of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate.

The Accessible EV Europe & England Road Trip was led by Anjna Patel, 68, DMUK member and trustee, who has lived with severe rheumatoid arthritis for over two decades. Travelling with Anjna was DMUK colleague Zoe Rush, who provided media, reporting and general support.

The project ran from Tuesday 5th May until Wednesday 13th May 2026. The project included 6 driving days through England, France and Spain, from Great Barr, Birmingham to Torrevieja, Alicante, in a fully electric vehicle, Volkswagen ID.4. The project was a success in recording data. Anjna and Zoe drove nearly 3,000 miles and successfully charged at 24 chargers whilst also abandoning several chargers due to digital interface issues and full bays.

At each charging location, they completed an audit using a bespoke assessment. The audit criteria were developed with reference to the Safer Parking Accessible EV Accreditation, owned by DMUK and Police CPI, which supports the requirements of PAS1899:2022. The trip had been intentionally planned to enable them to charge without significantly deviating from their route, which resulted in them being able to test charger units managed by multiple companies.

The results and information gathered from the trip can be found in the ‘Accessible EV Europe Road Trip’ report. This report provides in-depth information and results documented on the trip, such as:

• Chargers in different countries
• Frequent inconsistent design challenges between chargers
• Audits completed at each charger
• Anjna’s best and worst charging experiences
• Driving an EV as a disabled person
• Recommendations for physical and digital improvements to charging stations and to EVs

Of the 24 chargers audited, 11 chargers received a positive score for the overall experiences and accessibility of the bays; however, the audit results reveal all the chargers had some form of accessibility issues. Some of the accessibility issues encountered during the trip include:

1.     Weight of charger & cable management

2.     Force required to use the chargers

3.     Size of the bay

4.     Lack of waiting areas by the chargers

5.     Obstacles surrounding bays, including bollards, kerbs and lack of shelter

6.     Lack of on-site support, isolated locations and lack of security of the site

7.     Digital interface issues - lack of buttons, font type not being accessible, confusion between phone and charge screens

8.     Payment issues

9.     Height of components on the charge unit not matching the audit requirements for sitting and standing use

10.  Lack of sufficient shelter

11.  Requiring assistance to find alternative, reliable chargers via apps

12.  Range anxiety was heightened by the risk of the charger not working and the restriction of needing to recharge every 2 hours

13.  All bays in use and lorry blocking bays

14.  Designated disabled bays but with no clear signs of further accessibility thought

the results and recommendations can be found in the report here.