Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more video clips and reviews online for the Strutt Ev¹.

And we need to talk about it.

Y’all know how I feel about tech innovations for wheelchairs. Hell, I’ve spent nearly a decade keeping tabs on a single company because of how poorly-made I think their “wheelchair” is.

And I don’t think the Ev¹ is going to be much different.

Now, usually, when I do a breakdown of a device like the Ev¹, I have access to the owner’s manual and am able to go through line by line highlighting all the ridiculous dos and don’ts that say more about a device’s shortcomings and weaknesses than any hands-on review ever could. The Ev¹ doesn’t ship until (at least) April 2026, so all I have to go on is the FAQ and specs page.

The Specs

I won’t bore you to tears by listing out all the specs this thing supposedly has. But I will highlight all of the caveats they buried in the footnotes (emphasis mine):

Product functions, configurations, specifications, and performance may vary to comply with local laws and regulations, as well as be continuously updated due to product iteration, software updates, or technological improvements.

  1. Height is measured with standard backrest and may vary depending on seat height and backrest angle. Width may vary depending on seat width.
  2. The IPX5 waterproof rating is measured under controlled laboratory conditions. Waterproof performance is not permanent and may degrade due to daily wear or impact. Do not charge the vehicle in wet or rainy environments. Damage caused by liquid ingress is not covered under warranty.
  3. Actual driving range, obstacle clearance capability, and overall performance are influenced by a variety of factors. These include, but are not limited to: product configuration, battery health and age, driving behavior, total payload, terrain, and environmental conditions. Please note that theoretical test data serves as a reference and may not reflect performance in all real-world scenarios.
  4. The maximum driving speed of the product is subject to local laws and regulations. Please comply with locally applicable legal limits and permitted speed ranges. When traveling at higher speeds over discontinuous surfaces (including but not limited to speed bumps, ramps, or steps), vehicle stability may be affected by road conditions, obstacle shape, speed, occupant posture, and center of gravity. There is a risk of instability or even rollover. Please maintain safe driving awareness and take responsibility for driving safety.
  5. The maximum climbable slope is approximately 13°, based on testing under a normal seated posture, a 160 kg load, and the seat at its highest position on a smooth slope. Additional accessories or changes to the vehicle’s center of gravity may affect stability; steep slope operation should be avoided.

What all this means is we really have to talk about the warranty—because every one of those footnotes is designed to limit what Strutt will actually cover when this thing breaks.

The Warranty

The official warranty page (or as they call it the After-Sales Service Policy) gives a very clear breakdown of what (and who) is covered when purchasing an Ev¹.

Who the Policy Applies to

According to the website, the After-Sales Service Policy only applies to customers who bought the Ev¹ through their official website:

This policy applies only to Strutt products and their included accessories purchased directly through the official website. For products purchased through non-official channels, authorized dealers, or third-party platforms, the return and exchange policies of the respective channel shall apply, unless otherwise required by law. Strutt’s official website is not responsible for returns or exchanges of such products. For return or exchange services, or any related inquiries, please contact the seller from the corresponding channel directly.

If you don’t buy the device through the official website, any policy listed in this document doesn’t apply to you and you’re stuck with whatever after-sales service policy your seller has (if any).

However, if you check the FAQ page, under Is Warranty Service Provided After Purchase? it says (emphasis mine):

Yes. All products purchased through our brand’s official channels or authorized dealers are covered by warranty under normal use. For the specific warranty scope and applicable conditions, please refer to the official warranty policy.

So the policy only applies to purchases made through the official website. Otherwise the exchange policies of the third-party applies, unless that third party happens to be an authorized dealer.

…What?

Clarity on who is covered by the warranty and when is critical. Most power chair users buy their chair from an authorized distributor. Few—if any—chair manufacturers will even sell directly to customers. With companies already starting to talk about how to become Ev¹ resellers, this level of ambiguity is unacceptable for a $7,000+ device.

Digging through the rest of the site doesn’t help either. The website points you to the after-sales policy. That policy page points you to the FAQ (via the help widget), and the FAQ points you back to the after-sales policy—the whole thing is circular.

What’s Not Covered By the Warranty

Under the Warranty Policy section, it says that “Consumable parts and Comfort Components” are not covered:

Normal wear or cosmetic damage to consumable or comfort components such as wheel, seat cushions, back cushions, and similar items are not covered.

Okay, sure. Wheels and cushions break down over time. However, further down the page they give the full list:

  • Front Wheel (including hub)
  • Rear Wheel (including hub)
  • Left and Right Foot Guards
  • Joystick Module
  • Seat Belt
  • Anti-tip Wheels
  • Onboard Tools
  • Armrest Charging Port Protective Cover
  • Battery Charging Port Protective Cover
  • Mudguard

The seat belts, joysticks, and charging ports are considered consumable and are at no point under warranty? The “battery and charging systems” have a 12 month warranty but the charging ports for said batteries aren’t covered? Are the charging ports not considered part of the charging systems?

Why Do Wiring Harnesses Get Half the Warranty?

Why do the various “electrical components” (cameras, sensors, etc.) get a 12 month warranty while the “various wiring harnesses” (that presumably connect all of the electrical components) only get a 6 month warranty? If the wiring fails at 7 months, you’re paying out of pocket to repair the system that connects all those 12-month components together.

The Return Policies

Strutt offers two different tiers of return policy: a 14-day no-reason return and a 30-day controlled-use return.

14-Day No-Reason Return

The policy states:

Within 14 days from the date of receipt, you may apply for a return provided that all of the following conditions are met:

  • The product remains unactivated, with a total mileage of 0 km and 0 hours of powered usage.
  • The system shows no faults, error codes, or abnormal records.
  • The product shows no signs of wear, including no scratches, stains, damage, or other indications of use.
  • Original packaging, accessories, and user manuals are complete and intact.

The only way you’re allowed return the device for “no reason” is if you never unboxed or powered on the device: 0 km of mileage and 0 hours of powered use, plus having everything in its original packaging.

Frankly, I have no fucking clue why they even offer this level of return policy. You don’t just order one of these things, decide the vibes are off, and then return it unopened. This kind of return policy is for unopened Christmas gifts, not $7,000 power chairs.

30-Day Controlled-Use Return

Within 30 days from the date of receipt, you may request a return if the product meets the following controlled-use conditions:

  • Total mileage does not exceed 10 km, and total powered-on usage time does not exceed 20 hours.
  • No structural damage, deformation, or water ingress.
  • No unauthorized modifications, disassembly, or repairs.
  • Driving, braking, and safety system functions operate normally.
  • Exterior shows no significant scratches or wear.
  • Original packaging, accessories, and manuals are complete.

At first this seems to make sense: you get the device, wheel around in it for a bit, decide it doesn’t meet your needs, and you want to return it. To do that, you must have/do the following:

  • A valid original proof of purchase (order number, receipt, etc.) must be provided when requesting a return.
  • The product itself, all original accessories, manuals, and packaging must be returned together.
  • If any information or items are incomplete, the brand reserves the right to refuse the return request.
  • It is recommended that you keep the original packaging for at least 30 days from the date of receipt.

And while 10 km and 20 hours sounds like a lot, it’s not once you do the math. Assuming you operated the device at walking speed (4.8 km/h or roughly 3 mph), you would cover 10 km in roughly 2 hours. If you decided to zip around at level “S” (13 km/h or roughly 8 mph), you would cover it in forty-six minutes. Even if you were to be wildly conservative and drive it at 1 mph, you would at best get six hours and fifteen minutes of drive time before you’d exceeded the 30-day return period limits.

There’s no way you can evaluate this thing in less time than a standard work day.

Return Requirements

Regardless of which policy your return falls under, it still needs to be accepted by the manufacturer.

The return period is calculated from the date you received the product, and the submission time of your return request email will be considered as the official request time. We will review your request based on the product’s condition, usage, and return type, and issue an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) accordingly.

After receiving the RMA, follow the instructions to ship the product to the designated address. Returns sent without an RMA will be refused.

Upon receipt, we will inspect the product to ensure its condition, usage status, and completeness of all accessories.

And let’s not forget all the fees:

  • No-Reason Return Period: The return shipping cost will be borne by the customer.
  • Returns for Non-Quality Reasons: The return shipping cost will be borne by the customer.
  • 30-Day Controlled Trial Returns: The return shipping cost will be borne by the customer.
  • Return Shipping for Quality Issues: We only cover return shipping costs for products with confirmed quality issues.
  • Depreciation or Handling Fees: Based on the inspection results, a depreciation or handling fee of 5%-10% may be charged. The exact fee will be determined according to the inspection outcome.
  • Returns Not Matching Order Information: If the returned product does not match the order information, Strutt reserves the right to refuse the refund, and the customer will be responsible for the round-trip return shipping costs.
  • Inspection Failure: If the product fails Strutt’s official inspection regarding packaging, appearance, or functionality, the return request will be rejected, and the customer will need to pay for the round-trip shipping costs.

Strutt gets to decide whether or not they’ll even grant your return request. If they do accept it, you’ll be on the hook for shipping fees as well as a “depreciation or handling fee” of 5 to 10 percent. If they receive your device, but decide they don’t want to accept the return, you will need to pay for shipping back to you.

Why This All Matters

Strutt is trying to take consumer electronics level hype (and return policies) and apply them to mobility aids. They appear to care more about protecting their bottom line than the people they claim their product benefits.

This isn’t the first time a tech company has tried to market their way into a medical space. The Omeo is an over-designed scooter cosplaying as a wheelchair, and the Ev¹ is no different—it’s just got lasers instead of gyroscopes.

What’s Next

This thing isn’t scheduled to start shipping until at least April 2026. Until then, there’s not much benefit to me doing a breakdown of the specs or any of the marketing materials. But trust me, once this thing launches and I get a chance to review all the ownership literature, I’ll write another article going into exactly who I think this device is for and what its future looks like.