BMW Motability Adaptations

Making motoring more accessible for everyone

BMW Motability Adaptations are designed to make driving easier, and accessible for all motorists. If you need some assistance when driving, discuss your requirements with our BMW Motability Scheme specialists, who can help you to choose the best adaptations for you. You’ll find an extensive range of adaptations available through the Motability Scheme – Group 1 BMW can help with accessibility, stowage and driving adaptations.

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Choosing the right Motability adaptations

There are over 50,000 Motability Scheme customers who have chosen to have adaptations fitted to their cars, helping to make the driving experience as comfortable as possible. With around 150 different adaptations that can be fitted to your Motability vehicle at no extra cost, there’s sure to be a convenient solution for you.
What are adaptations? It’s really just an overall term that’s used to cover a wide selection of products and developments that can be introduced to your car to make life just a little bit easier when you’re behind the wheel.

Adaptations such as steering aids, electronic accelerators and push-button ignition can make a genuine difference to your driving comfort. We’ll take a closer look at some of the available Motability adaptations later on in this guide, but a great starting point can be a chat with our BMW Motability specialists. They can recommend particular models to suit you, and provide you with the solutions to any motoring challenges you find difficult.

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Are you the main driver?

If you’re experiencing difficulty when driving, consider some of the examples of BMW Motability adaptations listed below:

Scenario	Adaptations
You have limited mobility or control in your legs	Mechanical hand controls, electronic accelerators, steering aid and pedal guards
You have limited mobility in your right hand	Mechanical hand controls or left foot accelerators
You have limited strength in your upper body	Steering aids, remote control devices, easy release handbrakes and electronic accelerators

Do you have a wheelchair or scooter?

If you’re a wheelchair or scooter user – or travel regularly with a partner who has one – you could find it useful to have Motability adaptations fitted to your BMW. For example, a rooftop hoist can make a massive difference if your wheelchair or scooter is too heavy to stow.

Scenario

Adaptations

Your wheelchair or scooter is too heavy to lift and stow

Car boot or rooftop hoists
What types of adaptations are available?

The three different types of Motability adaptations available are:
1. Accessibility
2. Driving
3. Stowage
Whether you’re having problems getting into and out of your car, driving your vehicle, or stowing large items, our expert team of BMW Motability specialists can discuss solutions with you.
Accessibility adaptations

If you’re a wheelchair user, you can benefit from a number of Motability adaptations that can be easily fitted and installed on a standard vehicle – meaning you don’t necessarily need to drive a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV).
Transfer plates

A transfer plate enables the driver of a car to move easily between a wheelchair and a seat in the vehicle. It fits to one side of the car seat and can be folded out of the way once ther driver is settled into their seat; manual and electric versions of transfer plates are available, depending on your preference. Electric transfer plates are more expensive, however. To get the best use of a transfer plate, you must have good use of upper body strength to get in and out of the car.
Electric person hoist

An electric person hoist is ideal for wheelchair users as it lifts you into the car and into the seat. It’s a permanent mount that fits into the car, and a canvas sling slots into position.

The canvas sling is fitted into place using heavy-duty hooks, before the hoist is raised electronically. When the driver is safely seated in the car, the hoist’s frames are tucked away in the boot of the vehicle, but the sling stays in place – making it more convenient to use when you need to get out of the car at the end of your journey.
Swivel seats

Swivel seats make life much easier when getting in and out of the car. These are permanent swivel seats that can be moved in a range of directions; they turn, move in and out of the vehicle, lower and tip. Depending on your preference, you can choose from manual swivel seats and powered versions.

For wheelchair users, wheelchair swivel seats are also available. These are designed to allow the base of a wheelchair to connect to a special car seat, but can’t be operated independently.
Driving adaptations

Driving adaptations can make it possible for someone to drive a car where otherwise they might struggle to do so. These vary from relatively simple products to systems designed specifically for a motorist’s needs.
Hand controls

If using traditional foot pedals to accelerate and brake is difficult, hand controls can be more suitable. A push/pull device enables a driver to control the speed of a car with their hands, instead of their feet.
Steering aids

Steering aids are an alternative for motorists who have difficulty in holding and using a steering wheel. There are a range of adaptations available to help here, including a steering wheel ball. This gives you the control you need without having to struggle to grip the wheel.
Remote control devices

Remote control devices make life much easier if you can't use your car's instruments. For example, you can operate basic controls such as indicators, headlights and windscreen wipers using a remote control device, and just using a single hand.
Electronic accelerators

If you have mobility issues in your legs, and hand controls aren’t suitable either, an electronic accelerator can really help. These come with a hand-operated brake, too.
Left foot accelerators

In standard cars, the accelerator is positioned to the right of the driver’s side, but if you have mobility issues with your right leg, this presents an obvious issue. The answer to the problem is a simple one: a left foot accelerator removes any strain on the right leg. You can choose from a few different types of left foot accelerators.
Pedal modifications

Some drivers have difficulty reaching the pedals in their standard location. Using modified pedals brings them closer to the driver’s seat, improving comfort and functionality when behind the wheel.
Stowage adaptations

A heavy object like a wheelchair or a scooter can be difficult to move as it is, without the prospect of lifting it into the boot of a car. If this is a challenge for you, talk to us about the range of stowage adaptations that can be fitted to your Motability Scheme car.
Car boot hoist

A hoist is perfect for helping you to store a scooter or wheelchair in the boot of your vehicle. You should bring your wheelchair scooter with you when you speak to our Motability specialists, as they’ll need to advise on the type of car boot hoist you need, and the amount of space required.

To make sure your wheelchair or scooter is secured safely when in transit, tie-downs are included.
Rooftop stowage

A car rooftop stowage unit enables you to store a folded wheelchair in a box on the roof of your vehicle, keeping your boot clear to store other items.

You won’t have to move the wheelchair to the car roof yourself – an electric hoist does the lifting. The rooftop box can be installed on the driver’s side or passenger’s side of the car.
Lightweight manual wheelchair

If you use a wheelchair, a useful option when out and about is to lease a lightweight manual wheelchair. Choose between an assistant-propelled wheelchair or a self-propelled version. Both can be folded and stowed away easily when you’re travelling.
Motability adaptation prices

For pricing information about the range of BMW Motability adaptation options, get in touch with your local Group 1 BMW dealership – our team of specialists are always happy to help. A guide to prices is below:

Type of Adaptation	Price Range
Left foot accelerator	£0 - £95
Steering aids	£0 - £100
Pedal modifications	£0 - £800
Mechanical hand controls	£0 - £1072
Person hoists	£0 - £1305
Electronic accelerators	£0 - £1885

*Prices are grouped by the type of adaptation.

Type of Adaptation	Price Range
Wheelchair stowage (in-car systems)	£0 - £10,990
Transfer plates	£9 - £715
Remote control devices	£50 - £775
Permanent swivel seats	£116 - £8,100
Wheelchairs swivel seats	£170 - £12,365
Wheelchair stowage (rooftop systems)	£667 - £2,750

*Prices are grouped by the type of adaptation.

Check the specification of your vehicle

Ordering the best vehicle is often the easiest solution to many problems encountered by drivers using the Motability Scheme. A wide range of models are included on the scheme, and many of these have driver-friendly features such as height-adjustable seats, push-button start functions and automatic transmissions.

Our team of Motability Scheme experts can help you to choose the BMW model that best suits your requirements.
Need help with the cost of adaptations?

Did you know that there are around 150 Motability adaptations available, at no extra cost? This means that there is plenty of help available if there is any aspect of your motoring experience that is causing you concern.

If you need more complex solutions and adaptations – that might not be already covered by your Mobility Allowance – you can apply for a grant to help with the cost.
Further help and advice

There are actually over 500 vehicle adaptations offered on the Motability Scheme, so if you’re finding any aspect of driving inaccessible, there’s a high chance we can help. Before you choose a Motability car, contact your local Group 1 BMW dealership to discuss the best option for you – and start enjoying your driving again.

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