nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Hi, I'm Littlefatfriend! Does anyone know when electric seats became commonplace in sports cars?

Littlefatfriend

I've had my spinal injury (complete, T4) for 34 years.

The electric seats which are now fitted to my Jaguar XKR (and many other newish cars) don't fold backwards all the way, preventing me getting my wheelchair into the car.

Does anyone have any idea when electric seats became commonplace in sports car please?

It can be a subtle thing to explore with sellers from a distance!

Thanks in advance for any help

Luke

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Rosie_Scope

Hi @Littlefatfriend, welcome to the community! I'm afraid I'm not too sure about your question as it's not something I've come across before, but I'll put your post into our transport section where some of our members can find it more easily and offer their thoughts. I hope that's okay with you! Just wanted to say hello and welcome 😊

Littlefatfriend

Cheers Rosie,

I didn't know and I know rather a lot about Jaguar cars! It's a detail of that style of car which is difficult to establish online and seems common.

I'm curious if anyone has found a solution/way around, you know how resourceful we may be!

Luke

Rosie_Scope

Always worth asking @Littlefatfriend! I know we have some members that know all sorts about cars, so hopefully they'll be able to offer some insight. Hope you find a way forward!

66Mustang

Sorry it's a really vague answer but a family member had a colleague about 20 years ago who was a wheelchair user, he drove a Porsche. He enjoyed winding prejudicial people up by legitimately parking in a disabled spot and then seeing them go red-faced when he got his wheelchair out

So maybe Porsche may be a brand to look into

Littlefatfriend

Cheers 66 Mustang!

Pardon me, I thought I'd replied to you a while ago.

Do you have any idea how old or what type their Porsche was/was it a convertible?

I've never really fancied a Porsche but it's all useful info.

In case it helps, my previous cars (2 Astras, 2 Capris, a Fiat Panda 4x4, 2 Nissan 200SXs, a Jaguar XJS) would all still be suitable for me. The problem is only the electric seats.

Thanks for your help

Luke

Wibbles

@Littlefatfriend

Why not try

https://studioincar.co.uk/collections/recaro

I used to have Recaro seats in a Capri 3000S - in the 80's - they are excellent - though a little expensive. I then had electric recaros fitted to a new ford focus in 2004 as a factory fit option at a remarkably cheap £250 for the pair) - again, they were superb

https://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/

it sounds as if you should be looking for aftermarket seats from a car - with only 2 doors - so the seats fold allowing access to the rear..

Littlefatfriend

Cheers Wibbles

The seats in my XKR are Recaros, they were standard on a few XKR models.

The G forces inside the car would make me very wary about fitting other seats.

My only hope with the XKR in that respect is getting a more suitable wheelchair and I'm working on that, but it's asking an awful lot. There's not even enough space inside for me to wear a hat!

Luke

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/928435#Comment_928435

I now, am starting to wonder whether this is a genuine query !!

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/928918#Comment_928918

@Littlefatfriend

I agree - perhaps a Dacia Jogger - they've got more than enough room for your wheelchair and your hat !

The seats fold flat too. 1807litres of space with all rear seats folded.

You needn't worry about the front seats either because you get a rear door that opens fully……

Littlefatfriend

Hi Wibbles

Why please?

Because the electric seats don't fold all the way back I'm considering replacing my car. It's the first car I've had with electric seats, my other cars all had a lever under the front of the seat one could pull and lay the seat flat.

As such I wondered when they became commonplace, as they seem to be.

Thanks

Littlefatfriend

Thanks egister

I've now been trying to identify a suitable wheelchair for over five years, since my leg was removed.

Wheelchair services are no help at all, there's literally no useful advice available to me.

I'm now confident I've found a suitable 'chair but working out what angle to have the foot rest at is being very subtle and I can only work that out by trying chairs with a foot rest at that angle. The top 6" of my femur was also removed in my remaining leg, I'm therefore only balanced on my pelvis when I sit up.

For 28 years I used six different versions of basically the same wheelchair, but none of them are suitable for me now. I'm using a 20+ yr old Quickie GPV because it's the only adjustable chair I have. The foot plate is just one of the things which make that unsuitable for me.

I'm considering getting another car but electric seats don't seem to fold back far enough in my car or the cars of a few friends. That's why I'm curious when they began being used and if anyone else has found this a problem.

Thanks again

Littlefatfriend

Thanks again Wibbles

I've never had a five door car. Two door cars (apart from my XKR!) have larger doors and more space making chair dismantling and loading easier. Do the seats even fold backwards? I couldn't fold the rear seats myself.

I've never had an estate either (that's just going to be wasted space) and I don't want a brand new car.

I don't understand what you mean about the rear door. A rear door wouldn't be any use to me at all and has no bearing on the seat folding issue.

🤔

Woodview1

little fat friend your post is so funny just don’t believe it

Littlefatfriend

Thanks egister

The problem is just the car seat, not the wheelchair. I only mentioned the 'chair as you brought it up.

I only wanted wheelchair services to help me find a suitable wheelchair. The only chairs they suggested were considerably worse and less suitable than the Quickie GPV I have.

With the car seat folded all the way back, there isn't sufficient space between the windscreen and I for my wheelchair to fit through.

The problem with an alternative seat would be mounting it securely. I don't think it would work for an MOT.

I'm only curious how long cars have had electric seats. This is my first experience of them but they seem common in cars post around 2000. If that's so, I'll get an older car.

Thanks again

Littlefatfriend

I'm pleased to help brighten your day Woodview1, I didn't even know I was making a joke!

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/929150#Comment_929150

Hello Again,

Let me get this right - you are trying to solve an access problem with getting your wheelchair out from the back seat of a 2 door car - by obtaining a replacement (electric) seat that will fold or slide forwards to allow you access ?

Try a 5 door car - much simpler !!

or even a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle https://www.motability.co.uk/find-a-vehicle/wheelchair-accessible-vehicles/#search

Motability do offer a few cars with electric seats

https://www.motaclarity.co.uk/news/cars-with-electrically-adjustable-seats

Historically - I believe that electric seats were fitted to some US cars from the 40's !!

https://www.dubizzle.com/blog/cars/car-power-seats/#h-what-are-power-seats-in-cars-history-and-evolution

OverlyAnxious

Most cars still don't have electric seats as standard. There wasn't a particular year when they became more common. It does depends what you class as a sports car though.

I think some of the confusion in this thread comes from the terminology. You don't want to 'fold' the seat. You want to slide it backwards on the runners so that there is space in front of you to pass the chair across. Those are two different functions.

Regarding a seat change, seats are just bolted to runners, which are then bolted to the floor, it is perfectly safe and legal to change seats as long as it's done correctly. You will often find that lower spec cars of the same model have manual seats while higher spec ones have electric seats.

Personally I've owned over 30 cars, only 2 of those had electric seats. I wouldn't say they were commonplace at all.

Littlefatfriend

Hi Wibbles

No, sorry.

To be clear:

For 28 years I transferred into my cars, folded the driver's seat all the way back, removed the wheels/cushion from my 'chair and passed them and the frame in front of me and onto the passenger seat or the back seat behind the passenger seat. That's the only way I can do it.

That's not possible in the XKR because the seat only folds back about 45°. As such there isn't sufficient space between me and the windscreen for my (16"x16") 'chair to fit. In all my other cars the (manual) driver's seats folded back to almost 90°.

In a two door car a lever on the side of the passenger seat quickly folds the seat forwards, making it easy to securely place the wheels/cushion/frame on the back seat. A five door car won't have that .

In order to enable passenger's to step into the footwell of the back seats the doors of two door cars are also considerably larger, which helps with 'chair dismantling/storing. A five door car won't have that.

Once I'm in a five door car, four of the doors would be completely inaccessible to me. How could that possibly help please?

I've never needed or wanted a WAV. They're relatively slow, cumbersome, thirsty and expensive and more than is necessary for my needs. In my experience (1991-97) Motability is an insanely expensive means of funding a car.

All I want/need is to buy a car with seats like any of the others I've had. My friends and family who have newish cars (post about 2000) all have electric seats.

Electric seats are the problem I'm trying to avoid, hence my question.

I hope that helps

Littlefatfriend

Thanks Overlyanxious

Is that so?

It may just be coincidence that all the people I know with newer cars have electric seats (a VW golf, a mini, a Citroen and a couple of others). Before about 2000 such cars that I've seen didn't have electric seats.

Yes I do want to 'fold' the seat. I'm 6' tall and using hand controls so I have the seat slid back all the way on the runners anyhow. That helps keep my foot away from the pedals.

All my other cars had a lever under the front of the drivers seat one could lift and fold the seat all the way back. Fold it so its back rotates backwards (away from the windscreen) and down to rest atop the rear seat cushion. That's how I've always loaded my 'chairs.

XK8s are the lower spec models and they have electric seats too.

How many of your cars were made this century and what type were they please?

The purpose of my question is to establish what sort of cars made this century have manual seats (and then I'll find out how far back those seats fold).

For a couple of years my XKR has been (and remains) great fun. She's a wonderful thing to spank around the B roads of Scotland!

For the purposes of practicality however, I'm now considering getting an alternative car which I can get a wheelchair into.

Hence my question.

Thanks again

OverlyAnxious

I've owned 4 Golfs and an equivalent Audi A3, all built post 2000 with fully manual seats. The newest one is less than 5 years old now. Only the top spec Golf's got electric seats, or those with an optional extra seat choice.

I've had many Ford Focus's as well, most of which had manual seats. Though one was top spec with electric seats, and another had optional electric seats.

I've also owned a few small hot hatches, both pre & post 2000, all with manual seats, though don't think they'd be large enough to accommodate a wheelchair anyway.

I've never owned a proper sports car due to my conditions so perhaps that is the difference. I'm still not quite understanding the function that your current car has, though you've explained it well there. All the cars I've had with a lever at the front have only ever slid the seat back & forward. Usually there is a small catch on the door side of a 3-door seat to fold the seat forward for rear access or to recline it.