Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 29
29
Accepted
Accessible charge point standard remains unmandated and poorly understood by operators.
Conclusion
However, the Department has not mandated use of the standard. The Motability Foundation told us that two years on from its launch, there are still no charge points in the UK which are fully compliant with the standard. Charge point operators and local authorities have reported that they need to better understand what compliance with the standard means in practice.54 The Department stated that it believes the standard to be the first in the world. It told us that it has put in place a review of the standard with the British Standards Institution and wider stakeholders to learn about whether the standard works and address practical issues, such as how people will know they have complied. The Department also said the review would identify what further actions may be needed to improve charge 49 Qq 95–97 50 EVS0007 51 Q 92 52 Qq 94–95 53 C&AG’s Report paras 16, 3.10–3.11 54 EVS0007; C&AG’s Report para 16 18 point accessibility, and will make recommendations in early 2025.55 In the meantime, it stated that it has asked local authorities to consider how they are taking accessibility into account through their LEVI projects.56
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the Committee's conclusion, acknowledging the need for an accessible chargepoint network, and highlights its ongoing work with stakeholders to review the PAS 1899:2022 standard for chargepoint accessibility. Recommendations and proposed next steps from this review are to be confirmed in due course.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2025 5.2 The department acknowledges that the chargepoint network needs to work for all users, including those with disabilities. It has been working with industry, disabled users, accessibility experts, charities, consumer groups and the devolved administrations to review the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 1899:2022 standard for chargepoint accessibility. Recommendations from this review and proposed next steps will be confirmed in due course. 5.3 The PAS 1899 was the first standard of its kind internationally. The department will continue to monitor international standards in this space as they emerge and will drive efforts to harmonise with these international standards in future.