The Motability Foundation and design charity Designability are working together to demonstrate how inclusive design can ensure that disabled people are not left behind in the switch to EVs.

New user engagement research conducted by Designability, grant funded by the Motability Foundation, found that disabled people face significant challenges when making journeys in their vehicles. These include difficulties when getting in and out of their cars, lack of space, seating that doesn’t meet their needs and problems using controls.

Designability is working on a series of accessible design principles and demonstrator prototypes to show how these issues could be addressed in standard production vehicles through inclusive design.

The concepts are intended to spark inspiration in industry and show how vehicles could change in future.

Chelsea Fleming, innovation manager at the Motability Foundation, said: “We want to ensure that all disabled people can make the transition to EVs, but for this to happen accessibility needs to be at the heart of standard production vehicle design.

“Designability’s extensive user engagement with disabled people has highlighted the issues they currently face and how car travel could be improved for them. We’re excited to be working with them on the next phase of this project to show what is achievable through inclusive design.”

The Motability Foundation and Motability Operations first spotlighted in 2021 that not enough consideration was being given to designing vehicles with accessibility in mind and that it would be necessary to address this as vehicle manufacturers switch their focus to EVs.

In 2022 the Motability Foundation commissioned a report from the Energy Saving Trust into the barriers to accessible vehicle design. The report made a series of recommendations for improving on this, including the creation of accessible EV design principles.

Designability’s work builds on this using detailed user engagement with disabled people that included a discovery survey with over 1,400 responses, as well as in-depth interviews, group workshops and observing people using their vehicles.

The key issues found with the accessibility of vehicles can be split into four main areas that include access, seating and interior space, travelling and the driving environment, and storage of equipment and luggage.

Motability Operations has worked with design and engineering consultancy Callum to develop an electric wheelchair accessible vehicle (eWAV) concept. Named eVITA, the concept demonstrates innovative design solutions to show what is possible to help wheelchair users remain mobile in the EV transition.