The Motion Healthcare Electron is an exceptionally lightweight folding powerchair designed primarily around transport and travel. Its magnesium frame gives it a carry weight of just 11.7kg with the batteries and cushions removed, making it one of the lightest powered wheelchairs we offer for somebody who regularly needs to lift their chair into a car.

Fully assembled, the Electron weighs 16.2kg. It folds down to approximately 66 x 58 x 30cm, so it takes up remarkably little space in a car boot or at home.

Two removable 25.2V 10.2Ah lithium batteries are supplied as standard, giving a manufacturer-rated range of up to 20 miles. Each battery weighs 1.785kg and can be removed independently, which is particularly useful when lifting the chair or travelling.

Despite its emphasis on low weight, the Electron supports users up to 120kg or 18.9 stone, has a 40.5cm wide seat and reaches 4mph. An attendant joystick is also included as standard, allowing somebody walking with the chair to take control when required.

For someone looking for a genuinely lightweight powerchair to take in the car, on holiday or around shops and attractions, the Electron has an unusually strong combination of low lifting weight, compact folding and useful battery capacity.

Key specifications

• 11.7kg carry weight with batteries and cushions removed
• 16.2kg total weight
• Folds to approximately 66 x 58 x 30cm
• Up to 20-mile manufacturer-rated range
• Two removable 25.2V 10.2Ah lithium batteries
• 1.785kg battery weight each
• 4mph maximum speed
• 120kg / 18.9 stone maximum user weight
• 40.5cm seat width
• 41cm seat depth
• 58cm overall width
• 93.3cm overall length
• 4cm ground clearance
• 7-inch front and 8-inch rear wheels
• Attendant control supplied as standard

How light is the Electron really?

Lightweight powerchairs can be confusing because manufacturers don't always quote weight in the same way.

Motion Healthcare gives the Electron a carry weight of 11.7kg, but this is the chair with its two batteries and cushions removed. The complete chair weighs 16.2kg.

We actually think the removable-weight figure is useful, provided it is explained properly. If you are lifting the Electron into a car, there is no reason to lift the batteries at the same time. Each battery weighs just under 1.8kg and can be removed first, substantially reducing the weight of the main chair.

However, 11.7kg still needs to be physically lifted. Whether that is manageable depends on the person doing the lifting, the height and shape of the car boot and how far the chair needs to be carried. Wherever possible, we recommend trying this with the actual vehicle rather than choosing a folding powerchair from its weight figure alone.

Two batteries and up to 20 miles of range

One of the Electron's most useful features is that two lithium batteries are included as standard.

Motion Healthcare quotes up to 20 miles of range, but as with any mobility product we would treat that as a laboratory-style maximum rather than a distance every user should expect to achieve.

Real range changes according to user weight, temperature, gradients, the surfaces being driven over and battery condition. If running out of power would leave you stranded, we recommend building a sensible reserve into any journey rather than planning to use every mile of the published range.

The two-battery arrangement is particularly practical because the Electron can operate with one or both batteries. This gives you the option to remove unnecessary weight for a shorter journey or carry the additional battery when more range is required.

Charging and looking after the lithium batteries

Motion Healthcare recommends checking the battery level before use and quotes an estimated charging time of around 5–7 hours. New batteries should receive a full initial charge, while batteries in a chair that isn't being used should still be fully charged at least once every two months.

The manufacturer's guidance is to recharge regularly rather than deliberately running the batteries flat.

Only use the charger supplied or approved for the Electron, keep batteries away from excessive heat, flames and sparks, and don't attempt to modify or substitute the battery system.

Motion Healthcare describes the batteries as airline-friendly, with each battery rated at 257.04Wh. We would still always advise contacting your airline before travelling. Lithium battery rules are tightly controlled and an airline ultimately decides how a powered wheelchair and its batteries will be accepted and carried.

What is it like to use?

The Electron is best thought of as a travel powerchair rather than a conventional full-sized powered wheelchair.

At only 58cm wide, it is easy to manoeuvre through shops, restaurants and many domestic environments, while the joystick can be positioned for either left or right-handed use. The included attendant joystick is a particularly useful addition if a partner, family member or carer occasionally needs to take over.

The folding mechanism is also refreshingly straightforward. Once folded, the Electron can stand upright on its support legs and takes up very little floor space.

There are flip-up armrests and a folding footrest to help with access and transfers, although suitability will depend on the individual and we would always look at how somebody actually transfers rather than assuming a folding chair will work for everyone.

Where we wouldn't choose the Electron

Its low weight inevitably involves some compromise.

The Electron uses relatively small 7-inch front and 8-inch rear wheels and has just 4cm of ground clearance. In our view, this makes much more sense for pavements, shopping centres, attractions and relatively firm, level outdoor surfaces than for rough tracks, heavily broken ground or long grass.

The fixed 40.5cm seat width and 41cm seat depth also mean it isn't suitable for every body shape, and it isn't intended to provide the postural support or configurability of a rehabilitation powerchair.

If somebody spends most of their day in their powerchair, regularly tackles poor outdoor terrain or requires specialist seating, we would generally be looking at a different category of chair.

But that's not really what the Electron is trying to be.

Our view of the Electron

The Electron's strongest feature is that Motion Healthcare hasn't concentrated on low weight alone.

There are folding powerchairs that are light but achieve it with a very small battery, and there are long-range folding chairs that become considerably heavier to lift. The Electron manages an 11.7kg stripped carry weight while still supplying two removable batteries and up to 20 miles of quoted range.

The attendant control being included rather than an optional accessory is another thoughtful feature, particularly for couples or families travelling together.

We see the Electron making most sense for somebody whose priorities are getting the chair into a car easily, storing it in a relatively small space and having enough battery capacity for proper days out.

The trade-off is that this isn't the chair we would choose for demanding terrain or complex seating requirements. For the right type of user, though, that is a perfectly sensible compromise.

Choosing a lightweight folding powerchair

Weight figures only tell part of the story.

When we assess a folding powerchair at Cinque Ports Mobility, we are interested in who will actually lift it, which vehicle it needs to fit into, the surfaces it will regularly travel over and whether its seating is appropriate for the person using it.

We can also compare the Electron with other lightweight folding powerchairs rather than looking at it in isolation. Sometimes the lightest possible chair is the right answer; sometimes accepting another couple of kilograms gives a user something that is noticeably better suited to the journeys they make.

Our aim is to find the powerchair that works in the real world, rather than simply the one with the most impressive number on the specification sheet.