Accessibility guidelines for LZEV charging infrastructure

Charging a Low and Zero Emission vehicle should be easy for all users, including people with disabilities and older people. This project will develop guidelines for Low and Zero Emission Vehicle charging infrastructure by comparing best practices and collaborating with people with disability and industry.

Participants

• Austroads
• La Trobe University
• ITS Australia

Project background

Austroads has developed guidelines to cover the installation of charging infrastructure for Low and Zero Emission Vehicles (LZEVs), including requirements, location, usability, and design.

The guidelines are designed to aid road managers, and to prompt consideration of issues relating to planning and design. The document draws on work and guidance from across Austroads’ member agencies, as well as international insights.

As this is a relatively fast-moving area of interest, Austroads will continue to monitor and research developments, with a view to updating these guidelines on a regular basis. The Electric Vehicle (EV) charging experience should be a positive one for all users, including people with disabilities and older people.

Austroads would like to understand what opportunities and challenges LZEV charging infrastructure represent for people with disability (PWD). Based on that understanding the current Austroads’ LZEV charging infrastructure guidelines can be updated or refined if required so that the guidelines also facilitate accessibility and inclusiveness.

Project objectives

The project objective is to support industry and governments in the transition to LZEV by developing guidelines for LZEV charging infrastructure to ensure inclusiveness and educate the industry.

In order to achieve the main objective, the sub-objectives are:

1. Collate known issues and challenges of LZEV charging infrastructure
2. Review current best practices internationally
3. Collate feedback and input from PWD and their peak body representatives
4. Understand the compliance challenges from industry point of view
5. Summarise and integrate in Austroads current guidelines and raise awareness (e.g., webinar)

Update: Webinar recording

ITS Australia and La Trobe University hosted a webinar about this project on 10 August 2023. Panellists shared findings from the project’s literature review, detailed the inclusive design principles the guidelines will be assessed against, and talked through the potential challenges and recommendations.

Referenced in the webinar were the following downloadable documents:

• EV charging consultation document
• The Stages of EV Charging (PowerPoint presentation)

Have your say

Additionally, in connection with these documents, and the project, the research team is also looking for feedback, and welcomes your participation at: Accessible EV Charging – Consultation feedback form

Webinar video

Please find below the recording of the webinar.