Motability Operations has created a passenger electric vehicle (EV) to demonstrate wheelchair accessibility to manufacturers.
The eVITA vehicle was designed and assembled in Britain in collaboration with design studio CALLUM, using insights from disabled people to address the obstacles wheelchair users face with existing EVs.
Traditionally, ICE vehicles would be converted to make them wheelchair accessible. But with the rapid growth of EVs, and without innovating and adapting such cars, Motability Operations is warning that wheelchair users “risk behind left behind by the transition”.
As a result, the eVITA programme aims to engage with manufacturers about the opportunities for accessibly design of EVs. The vehicle has a number of features, including: a reconfigured battery layout to enable wheelchair access, with ramp integrated into the electric tailgate; raised windows to reduce motion sickness and panoramic glass; and a design to allow wheelchair users to sit closer to the driver.
Underpinned by Motability Scheme customer insights, and designed including their top priorities, the concept vehicle is designed to make journeys safer, more comfortable and social.
Motability Operations currently has 35,000 wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) in its fleet. In Europe, analysis provided to the company indicates there is a market for around 40,000 new WAVs a year, growing by a further 20,000 by including the markets in Japan, Canada, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand.
The company is now sharing the innovative design work with car manufacturers – at no cost – to enable the production, or conversion, of WAVs.
The business has already collaborated with South Korean manufacturer Kia on the development of a wheelchair-accessible variant of the PV5. It is also working with UK converters who have invested in the conversion of electric vehicles. All WAVs on the Motability Scheme have been converted from standard production vehicles by UK businesses who specialise in this work.
Motability Operations said it was “urging manufacturers to grasp the opportunity and include accessibility at the heart of all vehicle design”.
Andrew Miller, CEO of Motability Operations, said:
“Up to 1.2 million wheelchair users in the UK are at risk of being left behind as the country shifts to electric vehicles but this can be addressed by placing accessibility at the heart of vehicle design. That is why we invested in eVITA – informed by our customers’ insight – to provide a blueprint for how manufacturers can embed accessibility into design processes from the outset, reducing cost and protecting disabled people’s independence.
“This is just the first step. Our aim is to work with as many manufacturers and converters as possible to share our learnings and support the development of solutions that will safeguard disabled people’s mobility as the industry moves towards electric.”
Ian Callum CBE, Design Director of CALLUM, said:
“Good design should start with understanding people and their real-world needs. Working with Motability Operations on eVITA has been an opportunity to understand what wheelchair users actually need from a vehicle as the industry transitions to electric.
“By taking a collaborative approach, we’ve created something that’s both practical and thoughtful and shows that accessible design doesn’t have to be an afterthought. I hope it encourages others in the industry to think differently and do more.”
Motability Scheme customer, Alex said:
“By involving disabled people as equal partners in designing eVITA, Motability Operations has shown a real understanding of the challenges we face.
“Without a lowered floor, we’d have to drive an electric van which isn’t ideal for everyday use, so it’s fantastic that the design addresses battery placement.”
Nigel Fletcher, CEO of the Motability Foundation, said:
“At the Motability Foundation we’ve funded extensive research with disabled motorists into the issues they currently face when travelling in their cars and this insight is now being used to create inclusive design principles and concepts that can be applied to standard production vehicles.
“We will continue to work alongside Motability Operations to drive an inclusive transition to EV.”
Image courtesy of Motability Operations
The news comes as Transport + Energy launches its inaugural Fleet Electrification Forum on 9 July at Warwick Conferences. Find out more about the event and speakers here.
