Seat systems, vehicle lifts, home stairlifts, drive controls, ramps, and more — mobility solutions that make everyday life accessible.
See all products →
Access · Electric side step
The climb most vans hide in plain sight. An electric cassette step drops out when the door opens — cutting knee and hip strain for passengers who walk, transfer, or work the vehicle all day.
What most people never realise
Modern vans, ambulances and SUVs sit high. People who can walk still struggle: older passengers, carers after a swivel-seat transfer, paramedics with kit in their hands, children, anyone with a stiff hip or weak knee. Families often jump straight to “we need a full WAV” — or they just live with the awkward climb.
A retractable electric side step is the middle solution: lower the first step, keep the cabin floor as it is, and park the tread back under the vehicle when you drive. Maya Mobility’s enclosed cassette design is built for weather, mud and daily commercial use — the conditions that kill open underfloor steps.
Know the difference
Brands such as BraunAbility and Paravan often mean a fold-out or in-floor ramp when they say “side entry” — a path for a wheelchair into a lowered-floor vehicle. That is a different product family.
Maya Mobility’s side step is an intermediate tread for people who still step in (or transfer from a swivel seat). Think Mariani ESI, Fadiel automatic step, Stedall cassette steps: door-linked or switch-operated, cassette housing, anti-crush logic. If the user stays in a wheelchair for boarding, ask us about ramps, lowered floors or side-door lifts instead.
01 · Enclosed cassette
Typical electric steps live under the floor — water, ice, mud and dust grind them down. Maya Mobility’s design puts the tread and the moving mechanics inside an external housing, so performance lasts longer in ambulance and fleet use.
02 · Friction clutch
A mechanical clutch between motor and gears defines the extension force (and protects the user). If power fails, you can push the step in with roughly that same force — the vehicle stays usable. Blocked by an obstacle? The control unit cuts motor power; the clutch lets the motor freewheel instead of burning out.
03 · Perforated tread
Punched anti-slip surface drains dirt and residue — critical on ambulances and high-traffic vans. Nylon inserts add grip in extreme wet. Reinforced aluminium edges and a 2.5 mm step shell resist twist under load.
04 · Seen in the dark
Nylon tip guards make the outer corners obvious by day; LEDs light them from behind at night so the edge does not disappear against wet asphalt. Optional blue edge lighting (partner configurations) adds another visual cue at the door.
Built for dirt, then for people
On close, a cam lifts the tread so dirt cannot ride the slide gaps; rubber seals seat between step and housing for a tighter weather seal.
Polyamide slide shoes on the guides keep motion smooth without constant greasing.
Motor, microswitches and drive parts sit in the upper screened zone of the housing — away from splash and road spray.
Lower traverse drain ports evacuate any water that still finds its way in.
External sealed connectors and a rubber grommet where the cable leaves the housing.
Dedicated ECU protects the motor across use cases and cuts power if the tread is blocked during open or close.
Who it helps
Families & carers
Fleet & ambulance
Elderly & reduced mobility
Maya Mobility electric side step
Good to know
FAQ
Tell us who is boarding, whether they walk or stay in a wheelchair, and your vehicle. A Maya Mobility specialist will map the right access solution — including electric side steps where that is the missing piece.
Also explore
