General Motors Designed A Wheelchair Lift For Compact Cars

General Motors has devised a way to make it easier to bring a wheelchair along in a small car.

The automaker has filed a patent application for a “System For Boarding A Wheelchair On A Vehicle” that leverages the new class of collapsible motorized wheelchairs.

The invention is depicted in the patent drawings installed in a vehicle that looks similar to a Chevrolet Cruze hatchback.

It is comprised of a small scissor lift with a platform that is stored in the hatchback on rails and can be extended beyond the bumper when needed.

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Once in that position, the platform is lowered to the ground and the collapsed wheelchair is rolled onto it and then lifted and slid back into the vehicle.

While GM doesn’t currently offer any compact cars like the Cruze in the U.S., the device could potentially be utilized in small SUVs like the Chevrolet Trax and Chevrolet Equinox to eliminate the need for mounting a large chair to a rack on the outside of the vehicle. This setup would help protect a wheelchair from both the elements and theft.

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As with many patents, GM hasn’t announced any plans to put something like this into production yet, but it shows that it is thinking about new ways to add new mobility options for its customers.