Innovate with us

A significant number of our customers do not or will not have access to home charging resulting in partial or full dependence on public charging infrastructure that is not always available or accessible. Our goal is to enable our customers to transition to EV by removing charging accessibility barriers.   

We're talking to our customers about how they use public charging to understand how accessible and available it is.

Case study:

With the public EV charging network growing at 30% year on year and with dozens of chargepoint operators, there is a huge variance in payment methods and infrastructure. With that comes a wide range of accessibility concerns.

We’re building an app to collect, collate and display information on the accessibility of all chargepoints in the network in real time through reviews and photos submitted by our customers. This helps our customers to plan their journeys.

Public chargepoint accessibility

The Motability Foundation is ensuring public EV chargepoints are accessible, addressing the needs of an estimated 2.7 million disabled drivers by 2035, half of whom may rely on public charging. In 2022, it partnered with the UK Government to co-sponsor BSI PAS 1899, a standard defining minimum accessibility for chargepoints. This standard was shaped by experts, disabled people, and industry stakeholders.

Find out more from Motability Foundation

It’s crucial that the unique needs of our customers are met so they can successfully transition to EVs. We're working with key players and stakeholders in the EV transformation to ensure that we can influence and pilot accessible EV infrastructure that works for our customers.

Case study:  

An EV is more than a car, it opens up whole new opportunities in the management of the wider energy infrastructure that not only keeps us moving but keeps the lights on across the UK. This is a complex and fast changing ecosystem with multiple stakeholders.  

Motability Operations is piloting a range of services to offer to our customers as this ecosystem develops. From smart charging at home to minimise the cost and environmental impact of EV charging, to our part in the world’s biggest vehicle to grid trial. A technology which could form a crucial part of balancing the entire grid in years to come.  

The way that we move in the future will continue to change radically. Consumers will adopt emerging forms of transport that may not be accessible to all. We have a responsibility to ensure that our customers are not left behind by incorporating accessibility into emerging forms of transport, from the beginning.   

To do this, we're exploring accessible driver-assisted technology and mobility-as-a-service solutions. We are also working closely with partners to identify and overcome accessibility challenges that would impact our customers.   

Case study:  

The way we move in cities is changing. Micro mobility offers users e-bikes and e-scooters for hire, car clubs are letting people unlock cars and vans with a click of their phone.  

These are fundamental shifts from our current operating model. Whilst we remain committed to our core offering, we believe we must influence this emerging sector to ensure our customers are considered.   

We are piloting mobility-as-a-service with our customers to understand further the barriers we know exist. We are exploring what role mobility hubs with shared access to vehicles could play for our customers.