callum x MOTABILITY partnership
CALLUM and Motability Operations are working in partnership to secure the future of electric wheelchair accessible vehicles (eWAV). To do this, a competition was hosted to find an inspiring solution from the next generation of automotive design and engineering talent at Coventry University and Glasgow School of Art.
Currently, Motability Operations supplies approximately 7,000 WAVs to customers each year. Most customers choose smaller WAVs as they’re less cumbersome and generally cheaper to run. However, as electric vehicles typically have their battery located in the vehicle’s floor, offering small, electric WAVs is challenging. Users switching to EVs face higher costs, less usable space and internal height, and lower available payloads. An innovative solution is required if the availability of practical and affordable WAVs is going to continue post-2030 when all new vehicles will be electrified.
The winning students - Zoe Graham, a fourth-year Bachelor of Engineering student of Product Design at Glasgow School of Art, and Yikuan Zhang, a third-year Bachelor of Arts student studying Automotive and Transportation Design at Coventry University - have both been awarded a paid placement at CALLUM. With our experienced team of designers and engineers, Zoe and Yikuan will bring their vision to life by producing an eWAV prototype for testing. It’s hoped this prototype will inspire further eWAV innovation and allow Motability Operations to continue to provide life-changing mobility to Motability Scheme customers, as we enter the era of electric motoring.
MOTABILITY
“with this creative engineering initiative, we seek to make the most of the ev’s internal space whilst factoring the available payload. Our aim is to find a workable solution to this complex problem; one that can be utilised by OEMs to ensure future EV mobility is accessible for all.”
- Adam Donfrancesco, CALLUM Engineering Director.
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