I have found that in rental cars (from National) a Buick Century's trunk will accept a broken-down
ECV but fairly tightly. A LeSabre will have no problems at all, and a Park Avenue will allow a lot of additional items. My own car is a 97 Ford Taurus four-door sedan. To get it all in the trunk can be a fight (but can be done), so I find it easiest to set the seat on the back of the car.
Make sure the car is a four-door and not a two. You will see why as I explain below. Some of these instructions will not make sense until you see the actual equipment.
First is the seat; this comes off by pulling straight up. Some wiggling might be necessary. The back of the seat does fold forward, but there is a post of about 8" length at the bottom. This can go in the back seat easily, but you want to do that only if there is need.
Then come the two battery packs. The have "quick-connect" plugs which just pop off. the packs are about 9" cubes, with straps around them. The straps can be used as handles. I would suggest putting them on the floor in the trunk. One of them should be in a corner up against the seat back. The other should be directly behind the first toward the back of the car.
There is a power/control cable connecting the rear wheel/motor assembly to the rest of the ECV. Turn the knurled knob (toward the back of the ECV when looking down) where it goes into the rear wheel/motor assembly and it comes off. there is a "T"-Handle which you pull up which separates the rear wheel/motor assembly from the main body.
The rear wheel/motor assembly has a rod type of handle across the top; Use this to put he assembly in the car. Put this to the front of the trunk, next to the battery packs.
There is a single lever below the left tiller handle which pulls up. This allows you to lower the tiller all the way to the floor (have it turned slightly off-center when lowering so it does not stop on the support post for the seat. I would suggest one hand at the very front of the floor and the other on the post support so you have no change of pinching you fingers when you put this in the car. The front of the ECV should be directly against one of the side panels of the trunk. Note that sometimes there is a better fit depending on which side of the car the ECV points at.
There should now be room to put the seat in the trunk. If a small trunk and the seat won't fit, put it in the back seat of the car.
Several notes for when putting it back together. Again, these will not make sense until you see the ECV in pieces.
There is a wide "slot" on the front of the rear wheel/motor assembly. Let the assembly sort of tilt backwards and place the rear of the main body into this slot. You will then lift the "T"-Handle, allowing the rear wheel/motor assembly to rock forward, and then release the handle to lock the two pieces into place.
Lift up on the tiller and locking lever until the tiller is vertical at the angle you want.
Take the plug from the body which goes to the rear wheel/motor assembly. There should be a (yellow) paint spot on it, that spot goes to the very top. Push the plug in and then turn the knurled knob (to the front when looking down) until it clicks into place.
Put the two battery packs into the wells on the floor. Note that the connectors will be facing to the rear and next to the post. There will probably be some advertising on the side of the case; that goes to the outside.
Then put the seat post into the tube and you are ready to go. Note when putting it in turn it from side to side a bit until it locks into place.
As last note; there are two controls on the rear wheel/motor assembly; they will be toward you on the right when you are behind the ECV. One is an electric automatic brake release and the other allow freewheeling. To operate the ECV the toggle switch must be forward and the knob all the way down. To manually push the ECV the toggle switch muust be to the back and the knob must be pulled up about 2 inches.
Note when you turn the key on, if the meter on the control panel does not move (and neither does the ECV) check the switch positions, and that both battery packs are pluged in as well as the cable. Once in a great while something needs jiggling.
Note the charging unit can live in your room and be plugged into the wall all the time.
Hope this informatIon helps.
