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A campaign has been launched calling on Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan to introduce minimum personal safety standards at electric vehicle charging locations. The urgent call aims to help protect women and vulnerable drivers while charging their EVs at any of the 33,000 public chargers across the UK.
The standard would require EV charging locations to be well-lit with monitored CCTV cameras and emergency contact buttons as a minimum.
EV locations that meet this standard would be identified with a kitemark so drivers know they can use them with confidence at night or when they are alone.
The campaign follows a survey of drivers which found that 80.3 percent feel vulnerable when charging their electric car and 62.9 percent don’t think security measures at charge points are adequate.
A further 88.5 percent have chosen not to use a charge point because they felt unsafe at the location.
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“The issue is particularly pressing given that the clocks go back at the end of this month meaning that more women are likely to find themselves charging in the dark.”
New research from Keele University illustrates the concerns of women when using public electric vehicle charging points.
The University interviewed 16 female electric car drivers and found that most were concerned about charging late at night in dark, poorly lit, unsheltered, and relatively isolated areas.
Many felt “trapped” inside their vehicles while charging, especially if there were no basic amenities close by.
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Academics at Keele University also noted that a disabled woman could be “doubly vulnerable” if charging at an unlit location and where access to and from their vehicle to reach charging cables was more difficult.
In addition, they noted how men may also feel uncomfortable when charging in these circumstances.
Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) UK is backing the campaign, with senior fleet consultant Emma Loveday, saying there is a risk of women being subjected to unwanted behaviour, or worse, being attacked.
She added: “The murders of Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa and Ashling Murphy are still present in our minds.
“I haven’t heard of any incidents involving violence against women at charging points, but I am not naïve enough to think it won’t ever happen. It’s a case of when, not if.”
The research from Keele University also found what people would like the public charging locations to be like.
This included being well-lit and appropriately located, having CCTV cameras, access to online support and being close to amenities like toilets and a coffee shop.
Professor Simon Pemberton, a member of the research team at Keele University, said: “To date, most of the focus around public EV charging has been on the nature of chargers and charging capacity rather than the actual needs and experiences of different user groups – such as women – in relation to public EV charging.
“Our research begins to address this knowledge gap and the challenges that need to be overcome to facilitate a just transition to zero emission vehicles in the UK.”
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