Power Wheelchair Carrier for Car

Why Does a Heavy Power Chair Change Vehicle Transport Options?

A power wheelchair weighs significantly more than a manual chair, making specialised carriers, ramps, or boot hoists necessary for car transport. A power chair is a different proposition. Even compact models carry batteries and motors, and larger chairs are far too heavy and bulky for anyone to lift. That is why choosing a power wheelchair carrier for a car is often the moment a family has to think seriously about vehicles, towbars, hoists and ramps.

There is no single right answer. The best route depends on the chair, the car, who will do the loading and whether the user needs to stay in the chair during the journey or can transfer to a car seat. This guide walks through each main option, from ramp-free lifting to external platforms, and the questions that separate them.

Will the Chair Travel as Luggage or as the Seat?

This single question splits the options in two. If the user can move from the power chair into an ordinary car seat, perhaps with a transfer board or swivel cushion, the chair only needs to travel as luggage. That opens up boot hoists and external carriers, and keeps the family car. Our guide to wheelchair to car transfer devices looks at aids for that step.

If the user needs to stay seated in the chair while travelling, the chair becomes the seat. That points towards a wheelchair accessible vehicle with a ramp or lift and proper restraint systems fitted by a specialist converter, which is a much bigger decision and outside the scope of a carrier.

Route One: A Chair That Folds or Splits

Some lighter power chairs fold, or break down into a frame, seat and battery that are each lifted separately. For some households this avoids any carrier at all. The catch is that someone still has to lift each piece every time, and the heaviest part is often heavier than people expect. Before choosing this route, ask the chair supplier for the weight of each piece and try the lift yourself. Our guide to a folding electric wheelchair covers what to look for in a chair designed to travel.

Route Two: A Boot Hoist

A boot hoist is a small crane fitted inside the boot. A strap or hook attaches to the chair, the hoist lifts it, and the arm swings it into the load area. The person loading guides the chair rather than lifting it.

What a Hoist Needs

• A big enough boot opening and floor for the chair, sometimes with the rear seats folded.
• Enough headroom under the tailgate for the chair to swing in.
• A suitable fixing point in the boot, usually installed by a fitter.
• A power supply, typically from the car’s electrics.

Hoists keep the chair inside, out of the weather and away from thieves. They do, however, take up most of the boot. It is worth looking at what cars suit wheelchairs if you are choosing a vehicle at the same time.

Route Three: An External Platform Carrier

An external carrier is a platform that fixes to the towbar. The chair is driven or rolled onto the platform, secured with straps or wheel stops, and travels behind the car. Some platforms fold up when empty; some have a manual or powered lift so the chair does not need to climb a ramp.

External carriers leave the boot free and suit hatchbacks and estates with small load areas. The chair is exposed to rain and road dirt, though covers are available. You also need a towbar, and the car’s towbar must be able to take the combined weight of the platform and the chair. That figure is in the vehicle handbook or available from the towbar maker, and it should be checked before anything is bought. Our guide to an electric wheelchair hitch carrier explains the fitting in more detail.

Lights, Plates and Length

A platform can hide the number plate and rear lights. Some carriers have their own lighting board; others do not. Check what the law requires about visible plates and lights before driving with the carrier fitted, and remember that the car is longer when reversing and parking.

Route Four: Ramps Into the Boot

Portable ramps let the chair be driven or pushed into a larger boot or van. They avoid any fitting work, but ramps need a lot of space behind the vehicle, a gentle enough angle for the chair, and a careful operator. Loading a heavy power chair up a long ramp is not something to attempt without practice. For more on this route, see our guide to car ramps for wheelchairs.

Ramp-Free Options Compared

Many families want to avoid ramps altogether, either because there is no room at home or because the angle feels unsafe. The ramp-free routes are the boot hoist and the external platform with a built-in lift. A quick comparison:

• Boot hoist: keeps the chair dry and hidden, uses boot space, needs a suitable boot size and fitting.
• Lifting platform: leaves the boot free, needs a towbar and weight check, and exposes the chair to weather.
• Folding or split chair: needs no equipment, but depends on someone lifting each piece every time.

Weather, Security and Everyday Use

Think about the dull, repeated reality of loading, not just the first demonstration. An external platform means the chair rides in the rain and road spray, so a fitted cover and a quick wipe of the controller after each trip become part of the routine. A chair left on a platform in a car park is also more visible, so look at whether the carrier has a locking point and whether the chair’s key or joystick can be removed. A boot hoist avoids both problems but takes a little longer to operate each time. Our earlier guide to a power wheelchair carrier looks at how the different designs cope with daily use.

Which Chairs Can Travel on a Carrier?

Check the chair’s own instructions about transport. Some makers give advice on how the chair should be secured and whether batteries need isolating during travel. Powered chairs in the UK fall into different classes for road and pavement use, and the GOV.UK page on mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs rules explains those classes. That affects where the chair can be driven once unloaded, not how it rides on a carrier, but it is useful background when choosing a chair and car together.

Help with Costs and Vehicles

Carriers, hoists and fitting all cost money, and prices vary widely. Some people use the Motability Scheme to lease a vehicle with adaptations. The NHS page on driving and using public transport outlines schemes and support. It is worth checking eligibility rather than assuming it does or does not apply.

Questions to Ask Before You Commit

• What are the chair’s dimensions and weight, and those of any removable parts?
• What towbar limit, boot opening and headroom does the car have?
• Who will load the chair, and can they operate the equipment safely every time?
• Does fitting need a professional, and who services it afterwards?
• What are the returns and warranty terms, and does any delivery or fitting offer genuinely apply?

Getting a power chair into a car is solvable for most households. Start from the user’s transfer ability, measure the chair and the car carefully, and choose the route that the person loading can manage confidently on a wet evening as well as a dry morning.