Despite 4 in 10 (40%) Scottish drivers having a positive opinion of EVs, just a quarter (24%) are considering moving to an EV in the next three years.

That’s according to a new EV Transition Tracker, created by Motability Operations, the company that runs the Motability Scheme through the Scottish Government’s Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme.

Findings from the first edition of the tracker have revealed a sense of anxiety in Scotland, with 41% agreeing they feel nervous about the EV transition. The public charging network is likely a key contributor behind this, with many believing that chargers are often unavailable or in use by others (46%), difficult to locate (42%), and damaged or not working (29%).

Disabled drivers face greater barriers plugging in     

The findings – including a survey of disabled drivers that are part of the Motability Scheme’s Headlight Community – revealed even greater reluctance to make the shift to electric. 72% of disabled customers agreed they would not make the shift to electric until they had no other choice.

A community of over 1,000 disabled people on the Motability Scheme took part in a test programme reviewing UK chargepoints and uncovering vital information such as their reliability and accessibility.

Of the 482 reviews submitted in Scotland, many pointed to significant issues for disabled people, suggesting this could be a contributor behind their hesitancy to switch to an EV. Key issues mentioned included: bay size and space for wheelchair users; weight of the charging cables; hard to follow instructions; and facilities being too far away for disabled people to access.

Creating a smooth transition for all

With 40% of Scots viewing EVs positively, and the Scottish government providing significant investment to support the move to EVs – including a £20 million fund to support low-income households buy EVs – the firm believes there is a vital opportunity to improve the public charging experience and, in turn, spur on a smooth transition.

Gavin Thomson, COO & MD Scotland, at Motability Operations, said: “Working closely with our customers every day, we are acutely aware of the obstacles facing them in the switch to electric vehicles, particularly with the public charging network. However, our research shows that there is a real opportunity to create a smooth transition in Scotland.

With the government making significant strides to support the shift and many agreeing they would consider moving to an EV if there were better public charging, charge point operators must take action to roll out accessible infrastructure at pace. By doing so, we can avoid a cliff edge transition that will potentially leave thousands of people behind.”

Nigel Fletcher, CEO of the Motability Foundation, said: “There is a risk of disabled people being left behind in the rollout of public chargepoints – an issue that the Motability Foundation has been raising for a number of years. We estimate that up to half of disabled motorists –1.3 million disabled motorists- will be reliant on public EV chargepoints by 2035.

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“The BSI PAS 1899 standard, which we co-sponsored alongside UK Government, was published in October 2022, and provides a clear specification on the minimum requirements to improve public chargepoint accessibility.

A review of the PAS 1899 standard has since taken place, which provided an opportunity for industry to give feedback on achieving PAS 1899 compliance and engage with disabled people on their experiences with public charging. Taking on board evidence received during the review, an updated version of PAS 1899 is likely to be available early next year.

Fletcher continued: “It has been the Motability Foundation’s position for some time that the PAS 1899 standard should be made mandatory by law. Providers of public charging should also be taking responsibility for ensuring their infrastructure is accessible.”