Motability’s Power Wheels project to trial EVs as a power-cut lifeline for people with disabilities

A power cut is an inconvenience for most of us but for people who rely on electricity to run essential mobility or medical equipment, it can be a lot more serious. A new project will explore how electric cars could power the homes of people with disabilities or medical dependencies in the UK during power outages. 

With funding from Ofgem, Motability Operations (the company behind the Motability Scheme) has set up the ‘Power Wheels’ project. Focusing on homes in the North East of England, the goal of the project is to see how electric cars could essentially act as temporary back-up generators for homes and thus keep vital medical equipment running during any supply disruptions. 

There are already over 12,500 electric vehicle drivers in the North East that have been supported by Motability Operations with around 860,000 nationally under the Motability Scheme. For many of these people living with disabilities, a power cut could pose a serious risk to health and safety. 

The project’s first phase included exploring the features that would make EVs safe and reliable for home energy use. Elements such as accessible two-way chargers, being able to charge medical equipment and mobility aids directly from an EV and safeguarding the vehicle’s battery charge while planning charging schedules were all considered. 

Many modern EVs and even some plug-in hybrids already feature ‘vehicle-to-load’ technology, which can send the energy in a car’s battery to appliances like refrigerators and e-bikes, or ‘vehicle-to-grid’ systems that can help power the national grid via so called bi-directional charging. 

Andrew Miller, Chief Executive of Motability Operations, explained the Power Wheels target: “As the UK moves to electric vehicles, it’s vital that this transition supports disabled people’s freedom and independence, and that new technologies are designed around real lives and needs. 

“Power Wheels gives us the opportunity to work closely with customers and partners to explore how EVs could offer more than mobility - but support their medical resilience, helping people feel safer and more confident when disruption happens.” 

The next phase of the Power Wheel project will see Motability Operations work directly with 30 of its customers to find out how the technology could work for various disabilities and requirements.

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