The four major components of an electric wheelchair: drive system – motor, control system – controller, power system – battery, frame system – frame and wheels.
Electric wheelchair products: drive system
Currently, there are three types of drive systems used in electric wheelchair products: gear motors, track motors, and hub motors. Gear motors provide the strongest power and can stop on hills, but they are expensive and heavy. Track motors have less power and the track can loosen over time. Hub motors are the lowest cost and lightest weight, but they have weak power and cannot stop on hills. However, their advantage is low power consumption, and a hub motor electric wheelchair with the same battery will have better endurance. Overall, it is recommended to choose an electric wheelchair with a gear motor.
Electric wheelchair products: control system
The controller is the core component of an electric wheelchair and its quality directly affects the performance of the electric wheelchair. Research on electric wheelchair controllers is therefore of great significance. Traditionally, DC motors have dominated the electric wheelchair drive system, but due to their inherent characteristics, such as mechanical commutators and brushes, their motor capacity is limited and reliability is poor, and they generate a lot of noise. This forces power wheelchair manufacturers to explore low-noise, high-efficiency, and high-capacity drive motors. With the rapid development of power electronic technology and micro-control technology, mature brushless DC motors with permanent magnets have emerged. They are small in size, light in weight, efficient, low noise, and have a large capacity and high reliability. Consequently, they have great potential to replace traditional DC motors as the mainstream electric motor used in electric wheelchairs.
Electric wheelchair products: power system
Batteries are divided into lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries. Currently, electric wheelchair products use 24V lithium batteries, which are lighter in weight and easier to maintain than lead-acid batteries. However, they are more expensive. The majority of electric wheelchair products in the industry use lithium batteries, which are durable, slow to discharge, and have a long service life. An electric wheelchair with a lithium battery has a better cruising range than one with a lead-acid battery of the same capacity. Since lithium batteries are lighter, the overall weight of the vehicle is smaller, making them more energy-efficient and having a longer cruising range.
Electric wheelchair products: frame system
The frame refers to the material and design, whether it is a fixed design or a folding design, which varies depending on the person. If portability is a priority, then consider ultra-light materials and convenient folding. If stability is a concern and folding is not necessary, then a fixed frame with a rigid structure is best, as it is the most durable. The wheels of electric wheelchair products, including the electric reclining wheelchair, mainly focus on maneuverability and shock absorption. Inflatable tires have good shock absorption and can handle low steps (generally less than 5 cm). Solid tires will slip on low steps. With shock absorbers, the wheelchair will not be too bumpy on bumps and crevices. Generally, there are four wheels, with two front wheels caster wheels and two rear wheels drive wheels. The smaller the front wheels, the more flexible the steering, but it is easier to get stuck in ditches or cracks. Front wheels with a diameter of 18 inches or more are less likely to get stuck.
YATTLL has independent research and development of electric wheelchair ability and supports customer OEM customization. Based on our team’s research and development capabilities, we will develop 3-5 types of wheelchairs every year to meet the development needs of the market. We mainly divided the electric wheelchair into lightweight electric wheelchairs, reclining electric wheelchair series, and classic motorized wheelchairs. Our products are selling well in Europe and even other countries around the world. If you are interested in our products, please feel free to contact us！
