Essex-based product design consultancy Duku has revealed the UK’s first accessible EV charger, created to ensure disabled drivers to be free to support the UK’s renewable energy transition.
The British Standards Institute (BSI) has released a draft set of new standards for accessible EV chargers, but one design team said it is already ahead of the game. Duku has unveiled its first EV charger developed with elderly and disabled drivers in mind.
The design and research supports the BSI standards and includes patented features such as a motorised cable drum to automatically coil and uncoil the cable using plug-mounted buttons. A crash-resistant base protects the unit from damage without the need for obstructive collision barriers.
Designed to be highly visible with an intuitive, movable tap to pay interface that doesn’t use touchscreens or an app, these 7-22kW fast chargers are ideal for residential streets or car parks. It also features a plug and play system to ensure that they can be installed in less than 10 minutes.
After winning funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Innovate UK in July 2021, Duku took eight months to create the country’s first truly accessible charging solution. Live product trials took place in Dundee in March and received very positive feedback from a wide range of users.
The charger was developed alongside Urban Foresight, a smart cities consultancy. It helped to undertake the research, project management and public trials. Dundee City Council also supported the project as well as disabled drivers.
Andrew Aylesbury, Director of Duku, said: “Our research highlighted the problems people were having; including the need to use two hands and reach past those collision barriers. Now, everything’s touchless, lightweight and the obstructions are gone.
“Ultimately, it’s a better charging point for everyone regardless of disability. We’re grateful to Dundee City Council and Urban Foresight for their project management assistance which helped us get to this point so quickly.”
Final-stage development is now underway. Duku is looking to take its charger into production and installation while other designers are still grappling with the new BSI standards.
