Believ and Waltham Forest Council join forces to develop accessible charging

Charge point operator Believ and Waltham Forest Council are joining forces to bring more accessible electric vehicle (EV) charge points to hundreds of residents, including disabled people, across East London.

A pilot scheme run by Waltham Forest Council in partnership with another East London borough council, is designed to support disabled people who may find that impractical or inaccessible charging bays are a barrier to EV adoption.

The innovative project will see the rollout of 120 fast (22kW) charge point sockets across both London boroughs, with 30% of support coming from Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, and the remaining 70% funded by the CPO Believ.

The new charging bays have been designed through a workshop involving multiple stakeholders, including representatives from Motability Operations, and a number of public and private sector organisations. To offer improved accessibility, the new locations will include wider hatched areas between the charging bays and dropped kerbs to ensure a step-free route to a charge point from a vehicle. To support with site selection for the charge points, anonymised data from customers on the Motability Scheme has helped provide input into where the charge points are proposed to be installed.

“Charge point infrastructure must be inclusive, and through collaborations like this we can prove that we can create a bespoke network that ensures that no one is left behind,” said
Guy Bartlett, CEO of Believ.

“We’re incredibly proud to be a part of this project, particularly to support residents with disabilities who have felt the industry has been too slow in addressing their needs. This
is a perfect example of how the private and public sector can partner to deliver innovative solutions for those who need it most.”