In a bold move to redefine inclusive mobility, 17-year-old Arush Mukker, a Grade 12 student of the Heritage International Xperiential School is spearheading the development of a fully electric vehicle designed specifically for people who use wheelchairs.
The project, called AdaptEV, is India’s first student-led initiative to design and build a car that restores independence to wheelchair users. Too often overlooked in mainstream automotive design, this community has now inspired a solution that has already drawn acclaim from academia, industry, and the medical community.
Unlike retrofitted vehicles, AdaptEV has been purpose-built from scratch with accessibility at its core. Featuring a rear-entry ramp and a custom upper-body-controlled driving system, the vehicle allows wheelchair users to enter, drive, and exit independently.
“Mobility should be a right, not a privilege. Tying my childhood fascination of cars with this thought, I developed AdaptEV, where I used my skills and the tools available today to extend this right to people who deserve it as much as anyone else does. It’s our responsibility to create a future where accessibility is built into design from the very start, not added as an afterthought.” says Arush.
The project began 18 months ago in April 2024, from a brainstorming session with Arush’s grandmother, a senior physical therapist, and quickly grew into a full-fledged engineering initiative. Through the APEX motorsport club, which Arush founded, multiple students from Heritage International Xperiential School, Gurgaon have contributed to the project. The chassis is already complete, and the roll cage is nearing finalization.
The young innovator has pitched to and received strong endorsement from academia, industry, and the medical community alike. Kaviraj Nair, CEO-IIT Madras Office of Industry Advancement, says, “His approach integrates sustainability, accessibility, and cost-efficiency in a way that could be adopted by other engineers, local garages, or even government mobility schemes. By balancing feasibility with innovation, Arush has demonstrated not just technical competence but also systems-level thinking, the ability to envision how a single design can evolve into a model for broader societal impact.”
Professor (Dr.) Chitra Kataria, Head of Rehab Expansion at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre and Principal, ISIC Institute of Rehab Sciences has been involved with the project from concept stage. She says, “This is an important and timely initiative for India, where accessible personal transport for people with disabilities remains limited, and this work could make a real difference. From a therapeutic and rehabilitative standpoint, mobility is central to quality of life. I am very impressed as the approach shows not only brilliance but also compassion, values that are rare and precious in future innovators.”