The Strutt ev¹c is a four wheel, four motor powered chair built for people who move between indoors and outdoors every day. Two front motors steer, two rear motors drive, and all four wheels sit on independent suspension. The result is a chair that turns inside a 780 mm radius in a hallway, then handles a kerb, a gravel path or a 13 degree ramp without changing anything.
The ev¹c is the model with evSense, Strutt’s sensor and assisted driving layer. If you want the same chassis and drivetrain without the sensors, that is the Strutt ev¹e.
Quad-Drive: why it handles differently
Most powered chairs steer by driving one wheel faster than another. The ev¹c steers its front wheels and drives its rear ones, the way a car does, with torque moved between wheels in real time. Traction is held on loose ground, and the turning circle stays tight because the front wheels actually point where you are going.
Kerb height 50 mm, gap crossing 120 mm, climbing slope around 13 degrees at full 160 kg load. Ground clearance is 80 mm.
evSense and assisted driving
Two LiDAR units, ten time of flight sensors, six ultrasonic sensors and two cameras build a live picture of the space around the chair. That feeds four driving aids. None of them drive the chair for the user: the driver stays in control at all times.
Co-Pilot
Slows and stops the chair when an obstacle is detected in the path. The joystick vibrates when Co-Pilot is switched off and something is picked up.
Co-Pilot+
Adds steering correction, so the chair eases itself around an obstacle or into a tight reverse rather than just braking.
Pathfinder
Tap a point on the touchscreen map and the chair plots and drives the route to it, within about 4 m of mapped space.
Waypoints
Save destinations you use often, up to five maps and 300 m routes, and return to them without steering every metre.
Setting it up for the person
Everything below is adjusted on the chair with the supplied tools. There are no powered seat functions.
- Seat width, three settings: 442, 480 and 518 mm.
- Seat height, six settings from 400 to 500 mm in 20 mm steps. Note that Strutt measure this from the footplate, not the floor, so confirm seat to floor against the transfer surfaces in the person’s home.
- Backrest height, four settings: 350, 375, 400 and 425 mm. Backrest angle, three settings: 13, 16 and 19 degrees.
- Armrest height, three settings: 220, 240 and 260 mm. Both armrests flip up and rotate back for a side transfer.
- The screen and joystick module moves to either armrest, so the chair suits a left or right hand driver.
- Seat angle is fixed at 5 degrees. A positioning belt is standard.
Battery, charging and range
A 640 Wh lithium iron phosphate battery gives up to 32 km, or around 26 km with evSense running. It reaches 80 per cent in about two hours and full in about four, and is rated to roughly 3,200 charge cycles. The battery lifts out, so it can be charged away from the chair, and a second battery can be carried for a long day.
The chair is rated IPX5 and the battery IPX6, so rain on the way home is not a problem. Working range is -10 to 45 degrees C.
Travelling with it
The ev¹c breaks into five modules including the battery, the heaviest about 19.8 kg, which is what makes it a realistic car boot proposition for a carer. For flying, the Flight-safe Battery is 288 Wh and the Freewheel Kit lifts the front wheels so the chair pushes easily through a terminal. Airline acceptance still varies by carrier, so check before booking.
What the ev¹c does not do
Worth knowing before you shortlist it, because these are the questions that come up in an assessment.
- No powered tilt, no recline, no lateral trunk supports and no head support. The Extended Backrest accessory adds height only.
- No alternative access. The ev¹c is driven by joystick, and eye gaze, chin and head controls are not supported.
- It has not been crash tested as a vehicle seat, so the user transfers to a certified seat for travel.
- Strutt state it is not designed for blind or vision impaired drivers, and that anyone unable to operate it safely for physical or cognitive reasons should not use it.
- Deep sand and mud are outside the intended envelope, and the manual prohibits use on public roads.
- evSense assists the driver. It is not an autonomous system and does not replace driver attention.
Common questions
Is this a wheelchair or a scooter?
A powered wheelchair. It is driven from a joystick at the armrest with the driver seated in a fitted seat, not steered from a tiller. Strutt market it as an “everyday vehicle”, which is a marketing category rather than a clinical one.
What weight range does it suit?
25 kg to 160 kg including the driver and anything being carried. Strutt’s own seat height guide starts at 150 cm user height.
Can a carer push it?
Yes. Manual brake release levers on both sides put it in freewheel. The Smart Push Handle accessory adds motor assist so a carer pushes at walking pace with much less effort.
What happens when the software updates?
Updates arrive over the air. On the ev¹c that includes new features, not only fixes, so the chair gains capability after delivery.
Is it certified for NDIS or assistive technology funding?
Talk to us before you write it into a report. We will give you the current Australian regulatory and standards position in writing rather than a general answer here.
