Why does the same 630 kg car get quoted as 8 persons in one country and differently elsewhere?

The persons figure depends on the weight-per-person assumption used: EN 81-20 rates a 630 kg car at 8 passengers using 75 kg per person, while Indian lifts commonly use 68 kg per person, which is why an 8-person Indian car is rated at 544 kg instead.

Is an 800 mm door width wide enough for a wheelchair?

No. 800–900 mm is the range for a standard passenger car; wheelchair access needs at least 900 mm clear opening, and a stretcher needs 1100–1400 mm.

Can we fit a 1000 kg car into a shaft built for 630 kg?

Usually not without resizing the shaft: a 630 kg car needs roughly 1100 x 1400 mm while a 1000 kg car needs roughly 1400 x 1600 mm, a meaningfully larger footprint in both dimensions.

Do we need a stretcher-size door if the building has no hospital floor?

Most building codes require stretcher access (1100–1400 mm door width) in any building above a certain height regardless of use, so check the local lift rules before assuming a standard 800–900 mm door is enough.

Srinidhi Elevators — Elevator Capacity Chart:

Elevator Capacity Chart: kg, Persons, Door Width

EN 81-20 rated loads step through 320, 400, 480, 630, 800, 1000, 1250, 1600 and 2000 kg. Most passenger cars sold in office and residential buildings sit at 480, 630, 800 or 1000 kg; the steps above that tend to serve goods or bed lifts rather than everyday passenger traffic.

The same rated load is quoted with different persons-per-car figures depending on the weight-per-person assumption used: a 630 kg car is rated 8 passengers at 75 kg each under EN 81-20, while Indian lifts are commonly quoted at 408 kg for 6 persons and 544 kg for 8 persons, using 68 kg per person.

Capacity and Car Size Reference
Item	Value	Unit	Note
EN 81-20 rated load steps	320–2000	kg (9 steps)	Passenger cars mostly sold at 480–1000 kg
630 kg car	8	persons at 75 kg each	EN 81-20 assumption
Indian 6-person car	408	kg at 68 kg/person	Common Indian quoting convention
Indian 8-person car	544	kg at 68 kg/person	Common Indian quoting convention
Passenger door opening	800–900	mm clear width	Standard passenger car
Wheelchair-access door	≥900	mm clear width	Minimum for wheelchair access
Stretcher-access door	1100–1400	mm clear width	Needed where a stretcher must enter
630 kg car footprint	1100 x 1400	mm, depth x width	Typical shaft dimension
1000 kg car footprint	1400 x 1600	mm, depth x width	Typical shaft dimension

Fig. 1 — A 1000 kg car’s 1400 x 1600 mm footprint next to a 630 kg car’s 1100 x 1400 mm footprint, drawn to the same scale; the shaft grows in both dimensions, not just one.

Procedure: sizing a car for a building

Count the building’s floors and estimate its population (staff plus visitors) for the busiest five-minute window of the day.
Size peak traffic at 12–15% of that population carried in five minutes; this figure, not the floor count alone, sets how many cars and what rated load the building needs.
Pick a rated load from the EN 81-20 steps; passenger buildings are most often specified at 480, 630, 800 or 1000 kg.
Set the door width for who has to fit through it: 800–900 mm for a standard passenger car, at least 900 mm if the building must offer wheelchair access, 1100–1400 mm if a stretcher has to enter.
Check the footprint against the shaft: a 630 kg car needs roughly 1100 x 1400 mm, a 1000 kg car roughly 1400 x 1600 mm (depth x width).

Questions building owners ask

We only have 6 people on the busiest floor, is 408 kg enough?: A 408 kg car is commonly quoted for 6 persons at 68 kg per person. If the building’s peak traffic (12–15% of population per 5 minutes) needs more than one trip per group, the next EN 81-20 step up, 480 kg, gives more headroom.
Why does the same 630 kg car get quoted as 8 persons in one country and differently elsewhere?: The persons figure depends on the weight-per-person assumption used: EN 81-20 rates a 630 kg car at 8 passengers using 75 kg per person, while Indian lifts commonly use 68 kg per person, which is why an 8-person Indian car is rated at 544 kg instead.
Is an 800 mm door width wide enough for a wheelchair?: No. 800–900 mm is the range for a standard passenger car; wheelchair access needs at least 900 mm clear opening, and a stretcher needs 1100–1400 mm.
Can we fit a 1000 kg car into a shaft built for 630 kg?: Usually not without resizing the shaft: a 630 kg car needs roughly 1100 x 1400 mm while a 1000 kg car needs roughly 1400 x 1600 mm, a meaningfully larger footprint in both dimensions.
Do we need a stretcher-size door if the building has no hospital floor?: Most building codes require stretcher access (1100–1400 mm door width) in any building above a certain height regardless of use, so check the local lift rules before assuming a standard 800–900 mm door is enough.