“The biggest issue when I travel is the many limitations on mobility.”
Park Byung-min, who appears in Hyundai Motor Group’s ‘Wheelshare’ campaign video, expresses the difficulties many people with limited mobility face when traveling. Although he may wish to travel around freely, it is hard to fully enjoy a trip when using a manual wheelchair that requires assistance to move around.

To address this issue and enable people with disabilities to move around more freely, Hyundai Motor Group has instituted its electric kit-sharing service ‘Wheelshare.’ The electric kit connects a power device to a manual wheelchair, combining the lightness of a manual wheelchair and the convenience of an electric one. Hyundai Motor Group offers this kit for free, enabling people with limited mobility to travel more freely.

‘Wheelshare’ began services in June 2018 in Seoul and has expanded to major regions across South Korea like Busan, Jeju Island, and Gyeongju. In September 2024, a new rental station was added in Gangneung to further support more travelers with limited mobility. Hyundai Motor Group continues to expand this service for one purpose: to create a barrier-free society. The concept of ‘barrier-free’ refers to removing physical and institutional barriers to create a better society for people with disabilities or the elderly.

To use ‘Wheelshare,’ individuals with limited mobility or their caregivers can make a reservation through the ‘Wheelshare’ website(wheelshare.kr). When registering, they can choose from a variety of electric kits based on the user’s physical characteristics. There are kits for users who have difficulty using both hands (tail-type kits), kits that can be operated with one hand (joystick-type kits), foldable electric wheelchairs, and kits that can be operated by caregivers. Additional travel equipment, such as carriers that can be attached to wheelchairs and foot warmers, are also available.

A key advantage of ‘Wheelshare’ is that it can be used not only within South Korea, but also internationally. The rental period is up to 10 days domestically and up to 15 days internationally. After confirming with airlines, the kit can be checked in as luggage or carried on board.

In 2024, the ‘Wheelshare’ service underwent one more change. New ‘mobile rental stations’ have been introduced, allowing rental locations to be made available at festival sites. Hyundai Motor Group, in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, has installed mobile rental stations at the Gyeonggi Siheung Gaetgol Festival, Jeonbuk Imsil N Cheese Festival, and Gangwon Gangneung Coffee Festival, allowing users to rent electric wheelchair kits on-site.

Additionally, Hyundai Motor Group has created and distributed ‘Barrier-Free Preview’ videos, introducing information on barrier-free travel for regions like Gyeongju, Jeju Island, and Gangneung, to facilitate travel for people with limited mobility travel. Hyundai Motor Group will continue its work to create more convenient and free travel environments for people with limited mobility.