Public consultation on Draft Universal Design Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure now open
Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, has today launched a public consultation on draft Universal Design Guidelines for new Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure across the country.
ZEVI, an office of the Department of Transport, has developed the draft Guidelines to support the roll out of the new infrastructure by identifying international and industry best practices and engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders including national transport stakeholders like the National Transport Authority, international accessibility experts, disabled persons organisations, disability associations and charging point operators to identify a wide range of user needs.
The Guidelines summarise key considerations for accessibility when installing electric vehicle charging stations, including the design of the charging station itself, accessibility of the site, and information and communications to inform users before, during, and after a charging session.
Launching the public consultation, Minister Ryan said:
“In Ireland, there are currently no specific guidelines that provide universal design recommendations for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We have a blank canvas to get this right – to be leaders in the world for accessibility and functionality. The Universal Design Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure have been developed to support the rollout of well-designed, easy to use charging infrastructure across the country. These Guidelines are provided as technical assistance to help us design, install and operate infrastructure that can be used easily and conveniently by everyone.”
The Guidelines are intended to support the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2025 which was launched earlier this year and the commitment to delivering a national EV charging network across the country. As part of the commitment, a number of schemes are coming online including the Shared Island Sports Club EV Charging Scheme which will see the first installment of publicly accessible, fast charging for sports clubs and communities across the island of Ireland. This will be rolled out in early 2024.
The closing date for taking part in the public consultation is 5pm on Tuesday, 26 September 2023, and following public consultation, the Guidelines will be reviewed and published.
