Brussels

Brussels Capital Region is rapidly expanding its network of on-street EV charging stations to support the city’s low-emission and electrification goals. Private operators are also developing a network of publicly accessible off-street EV charging stations. However, not all drivers can easily and safely use these facilities. Two user groups face recurring barriers:

• Drivers of long or high delivery vans and service vehicles, who often cannot access or park in standard-sized charging bays due to limited length, height, or turning radius.
• People with reduced mobility (PRM), who may encounter physical obstacles such as high curbs, anti-collision devices, narrow charging spaces, lack of space required for wheelchair users around the charge point.

Although a network of EV charging stations exists, there is no reliable, standardised data describing their physical accessibility or dimensional characteristics within the OCPI standard or the DATEX standard. Current open datasets list only basic technical details (location, connector type, charging power) and do not indicate whether a specific user can actually reach and use the charger safely and easily. As a result:

• Navigation and routing apps cannot guide users to suitable chargers.
• Delivery operators waste time and energy searching for compatible spaces.
• People with reduced mobility remain excluded from the electric mobility transition.
• The city cannot assess where accessibility improvements are needed.

This data gap limits the effectiveness, inclusiveness, and public acceptance of the region’s electrification strategy. The specific physical accessibility and spatial characteristics will be defined jointly with the Brussels Capital Region.

Area: The whole region of Brussels Capital Region 

DESIRED SITUATION

After the pilot, Brussels Capital Region expects to have a clear, practical way to make EV charging data inclusive, useful, and usable for all drivers, including those with accessibility or vehicle-size constraints. The desired future situation is that:

• ≥200 existing charging points data enriched with new, standardised information describing physical accessibility and spatial characteristics (e.g. parking length and width, overhead clearance, curb access and/or access from the charging point to the street/building, accessibility of the terminal itself, etc.) (with minimum 85% accuracy).
• This information is structured in a DATEX-friendly, consistent, open format that can be shared through the regional open-data platform and integrated by charge-point operators and navigation providers.
• At least two pilot user groups (van drivers and PRM users) can successfully locate and use appropriate charging infrastructure in the selected pilot zones through applications or tools using the enriched data.
• The city gains a tested method (technical, operational, and governance model) to validate, maintain, and scale this data enrichment across the full Brussels network.