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Avatar One: The Wheelchair-Friendly EV Built from Dead Batteries, Redefining Mobility
When the world talks about electric vehicles, we think of Tesla, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz. But sometimes, the most meaningful revolutions don’t come from luxury or speed — they come from purpose.
In 2025, Stellantis unveiled something the automotive world didn’t see coming: a tiny, low-speed electric vehicle that can climb stairs, made entirely from recycled EV batteries.
Its name is Avatar One, and it represents a whole new definition of innovation — a blend of social value, environmental responsibility, and mobility freedom.
Stellantis Group Logo
1. Freedom on Wheels: An EV for Everyone
The Avatar One isn’t about horsepower or acceleration. It’s about accessibility — a vehicle designed so that wheelchair users can drive it directly, climb stairs, and navigate steep slopes without help.
Yes, you read that right: this small EV can climb stairs up to 8cm high and drive on 20% inclines. For millions of people with limited mobility, that’s not just a feature — that’s independence.
Its top speed is just 10 km/h, but it can go up to 50 km on a single charge, powered by repurposed 1.4kWh or 2.8kWh batteries taken from retired EVs.
This makes it perfect for urban environments, short commutes, and pedestrian-friendly areas — all while producing zero emissions.
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| Avatar One |
2. A Smart Rebirth for Dead Batteries
Most automakers see end-of-life batteries as waste or costly recycling challenges.
Stellantis, however, saw an opportunity to turn waste into empowerment.
At its European headquarters in Turin, Italy, Stellantis collects old EV batteries from its multiple brands. Through its SUSTAINera circular economy program, engineers and its partner Intent disassemble and reconfigure cells to create smaller, safe energy packs.
“From waste to motion” — that’s the mantra behind the Avatar One project.
These reborn batteries give the vehicle life once again, proving that sustainability can be more than a corporate slogan — it can literally move people forward.
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| “From waste to motion” — that’s the mantra behind the Avatar One project |
3. Designed by Italdesign, Backed by Volkswagen Group
Avatar One wasn’t built overnight. Its design roots go back to 2019, when Italdesign — the legendary Italian design studio behind Lamborghini Miura and VW Golf — revealed a concept called “WheeM-i”, short for “Wheelchair Mobility Individual”.
That prototype has now evolved into the production-ready Avatar One, in collaboration with Stellantis and the Volkswagen Group.
It’s not just a mobility aid — it’s a compact masterpiece of engineering and empathy.
4. Tiny Yet Brilliant: Features that Matter
Despite measuring only 1,486mm in length, Avatar One is packed with advanced technologies often seen in full-sized cars:
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LED headlights and tail lamps
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Rear-view camera system
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Pedestrian detection and collision avoidance sensors
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Joystick-based steering and control
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Foldable rear ramp for easy wheelchair access
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Optional fold-out bench for caregivers or family
Every feature was designed with one goal: to restore freedom, dignity, and confidence to people who have been left behind by traditional car design.
“We didn’t just design a vehicle,” says one Stellantis engineer, “we designed inclusion on wheels.”
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| Avatar One is packed with advanced technologies often seen in full-sized cars |
5. Sustainable Vision Beyond Mobility
Stellantis didn’t stop at mobility.
Through a partnership with ENEL X, one of Europe’s largest energy companies, the automaker has also built a renewable energy storage system at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, using the same repurposed batteries.
This system stores excess renewable energy and is expected to reduce over 16,000 tons of CO₂ emissions over the next decade.
While other brands like Nissan, Renault, Toyota, Kia, and BMW are also recycling batteries, most focus solely on stationary energy storage.
Stellantis went a step further — turning old batteries into a human-centered mobility solution.
6. Launch and Expansion Plan
The Avatar One launched in Italy in 2025, with plans to expand into Spain by 2026 and other European markets by 2027.
Public response has been overwhelmingly positive — not because it’s fast or luxurious, but because it represents a moral innovation: the idea that technology should serve people first.
Stellantis aims to produce thousands of units annually, focusing on hospitals, care facilities, and public transportation fleets in Europe’s major cities.
Discussions are even underway for AI navigation assistance and solar-charging versions in future upgrades.
7. Redefining Innovation: Technology Meets Compassion
The automotive industry often measures success by speed, luxury, or range.
Stellantis is proving that real innovation lies in empathy, not extravagance.
The Avatar One’s message is powerful:
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Technology can be inclusive.
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Sustainability can be emotional.
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Mobility can be humane.
For the first time, the electric revolution is not about who drives faster but who gets to drive at all.
real innovation lies in empathy, not extravagance
8. From Scrap to Symbol: The Legacy of Avatar One
Every reused battery tells a story — of miles driven, energy stored, and now, lives changed.
The Avatar One transforms that story into a symbol of hope, sustainability, and human dignity.
Instead of ending up in a landfill, these batteries are powering dreams — literally giving people the freedom to move.
And perhaps, that’s what the future of the auto industry should truly be about: not just innovation for profit, but innovation with purpose.
When waste becomes motion, and motion becomes freedom — that’s when technology finds its soul.
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