Electric vehicle charging PAS 1899 only came out last year and most of the chargers were built a long time before this. Getting anything changed can be a time-consuming process Most of the charging infrastructure in Coventry is on-street, and most EV installations are being done on existing infrastructure, which can be restrictive in terms of being compliant with PAS, Evans-Gadgil explains. If it is a parallel parking bay, it is impossible to comply with PAS 1899. If it is a herringbone or perpendicular parking space, however, then it is easy to comply, she says. My rule has always been, if we can comply, then we must. The rule of thumb, Evans-Gadgil explains, is that 10 per cent of bays in a car park should be PAS-compliant but that shouldnt come at the cost of parking spaces. Her bigger challenge is providing parking for another cohort of users who need bigger bays: delivery drivers. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has produced guidance for councils to incorporate parking spaces for fleet drivers who cannot charge at home and need a space to charge their vehicles overnight. For that reason, we dont want to suddenly start losing car parking spaces because of the PAS requirement, she says. You dont need PAScompliant parking on all the bays. Parking pads offer solution To meet the requirements of disabled motorists, Coventry City Council is proposing to install static wireless charging pads (also known as Vehicle to Grid) in existing disabled parking bays as part of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (Levi) Fund pilot project. Levi will enable the purchase of four Nissan Leaf vehicles through the Motability Scheme. These will be hired out to Motability users and can be charged using static wireless technology in the form of 13 EV charge pads one for a kerbside bay in each of the 13 streets within the project area. It is a pilot because we want to see how it operates, but, for sure, work needs to be done on how accessibility is improved, Evans-Gadgil says. Monitoring and enforcing the EV charging spaces in disabled bays is also a challenge for local authorities, but, again, collaboration is working for Coventry. There are only a handful of civil enforcement officers (CEOs) working across different locations, with more than 1,000 bays to monitor, says Evans-Gadgil. So, how do we keep tabs on them all? We have incorporated sensors into the charging bays, with integration between the sensor back office and chargepoint operators back office. It is the chargepoint operators responsibility to let us know if someone is parked there without charging. Then we will send a CEO to carry out enforcement activities. It is a really cooperative way to manage things. The decisions facing Evans-Gadgil regarding the placement of chargepoints are the same ones facing parking managers up and down the country. One consideration for local authorities around accessible chargepoints in bays is whether access should be restricted to disabled users, disabled EV users, or EV users, because the larger bays would also suit larger EVs, such as vans, says Swiatek. Hope for the future It is clear from speaking to stakeholders across the sector that a coherent strategic view on providing EV chargepoints is a long way from becoming a reality. The big concern for suppliers is how to corner a share of the emerging market. For the parking manager, the challenge is meeting the wide-ranging needs of a diverse community and, for the motorist, the question is whether an EV is right for them when it comes to convenience, accessibility and, of course, affordability. PAS 1899 aspires to bring about change at least in terms of accessibility but it is not yet yielding results, according to Dolphin. The way things stand at the moment, I would say there has been no change whatsoever, she says. But that is not really surprising, as PAS 1899 only came out last year and most of the chargers were built a long time before this. Getting anything changed can be a time-consuming process. A recent event in Dundee, hosted by Urban Foresight, has given Dolphin hope for a more accessible future. The event took place at a charging hub that was a lot more accessible, she says. Lots of local authorities were in attendance and were very keen to ensure that any charging points they put in are much more accessible. The problem is finding manufacturers of chargers that actually meet PAS guidelines in my understanding, they are few and far between. Im not sure how much change we will see without government intervention. I hope that I am just being pessimistic, however, and that real change is on the way. Evans-Gadgil believes more government intervention is the last thing that is needed, and she is calling for compromise. If the regulated guidance gets tightened, there will be push back, and questions will be asked about how this can be achieved within the constraints of historic parking stock: you can either provide a charging point there or not, she says. The simple answer is, if we can provide it to PAS standards, we will, but you can only work with what you have. New initative The BPA will be making a special announcement at Parkex about an exciting new accessibility initiative. Join the Inclusivity and accessibility in parking services session at 2.30pm on 6 June in the Parkex Hub (see page 20). 16 PN June 2023 pp14-17 Lead Feature.indd 16 23/05/2023 11:47 m211