Elevator

Elevators were introduced in The Sims 2: Open for Business, The Sims 2: Apartment Life, The Sims 3: Late Night, The Sims 3: Into the Future, and The Sims 4: City Living. They allow quick travel between floors and Sims can WooHoo in them.

They are added in Build Mode; only elevators added in a vertical "elevator shaft" will be usable, so all elevators in a particular shaft must be above or below the others in the same shaft.

The Sims 2
There are two elevators in Open for Business; The Ultravator by SchafftCo, for §1250, and The Going Somewhere by UppersCo, for §1400. There is also The Ultravator Shaft by SchafftCo, which is an empty elevator shaft with no doors that costs §500; it can be used if the player does not want an elevator to stop on a particular floor. These items were reintroduced in Apartment Life, along with the Multiple Multi-Purpose Elevator, which costs §950.

Elevators have a 2x2 footprint, with the two squares in front of the door being reserved. Elevator doors act like other doors, they penetrate walls, and wall coverings will wrap around them. The lowest part of an elevator must be placed on terrain or a floor. All other parts must be placed on a floor. It is possible to place flooring on the top of a door or shaft section, which allows an elevator to be built against an exterior wall. Elevator doors do not need to face the same direction on all floors; as long as the shafts align vertically, the doors can face any direction.

Unlike staircases, elevators can only be used by one Sim at a time. A player can direct a Sim to use an elevator by clicking on the door and selecting "Go To This Floor". This is not necessary if there are no stairs, but can be useful if the player wants to make sure that a Sim uses an elevator.

Elevators can sometimes be dangerous to Sims traveling in them, especially in lower-grade, cheaper elevators. Occasionally, the cable may snap, plummeting the elevator to the lowest level, and will lower the comfort, bladder, energy, fun and hygiene motives of the Sim inside. Sims on lots with elevators may have a fear of a cable snapping. After a cable snap, the elevator will need to be repaired before it can be used. If a Sim went through a plummet in a bad mood, they might die.

Players can "mix and match" Maxis door sections when building an elevator. For example, an elevator can have a "Going Somewhere" section on the bottom level, and "Ultravator" sections on upper levels. However, players may not be able to combine elevator sections made as custom content with Maxis elevator sections.

Sims can WooHoo in an elevator.

Custom Content
There are modified staircases, sometimes called "stealth stairs", which allow players without Open for Business or Apartment Life to simulate elevators, at least to some extent. There is at least one true elevator which was made as custom content for Open for Business (available here), but some players have reported problems with it.

The Ultravator by SchafftCo
"Bored with trudging up and down ordinary stairs just because you want to go to another level in some building? Hark! Like angels' trumpet song, this handy item strikes into the fray! Shun those safe, but repetitive stairways for the excitement of a closed box dangling on a thin wire far above the bottom of a dank shaft. Comes fully equipped with doors and a button." Environment: 3

The Going Somewhere by UppersCo
Is life losing its direction? Unable to find the lift you're longing for? Trapped on a stairway to nowhere? The Going Somewhere will take you to higher places... and back, without bringing you down! Whether you are rising or falling, you're on the level with The Going Somewhere. Don't just walk through life -- let UppersCo take you there!

Consumer Information: The Going Somewhere elevator never fails to function in laboratory simulations. Environment: 3

The Ultravator Shaft by SchafftCo
"Elevators are great for going from floor-to-floor, but only when there's a shaft for them to travel through. Unlock the full hidden potential of your elevator by installing this industrial strength shaft extension unit. Its steel construction and standardized interlocking attachment flanges allow you to both make those upper stories accessible and maximize plummeting speeds in a snap."

Multiple Multi-Purpose Elevator
"Need a fast way to move up? You can now if you install one of these beauties on your lot. The Multiple Multi-Purpose Elevator will lift up your spirits when you are feeling down. Though beware that this elevator may cause you to feel down when you least expect it." Environment: 2

The Sims 3
Elevators are included in The Sims 3: Late Night and The Sims 3: Into the Future. Unlike elevators in The Sims 2, there is no risk of the cable snapping, and they can be used by multiple Sims at a time. The elevator from Late Night also serves as a location for WooHoo. Elevators can be placed both on residential lots and community lots. Elevators in Late Night have a 2x2 footprint, with a 2x2 square in front of the doors being reserved. They can be found in the stairs, railing and elevators category of build mode. They can also be placed in high-rises. In addition, players can use elevator shafts to connect floors without using the elevator itself.

Elevators can be used by up to 4 Sims at a time. Like The Sims 2, elevator doors can face any direction, provided that they are all on the same shaft.

Sims may get stuck between the doors, or fall flat out when exiting the elevator. The chances of this happening are raised for Sims who have the Clumsy or Unlucky trait.

The Sims 3: Into the Future
Tube elevators were introduced in Into the Future. They have a 1x1 footprint, with the space in front of the tube being reserved, and can only be used by one Sim at a time. Using them increases the Advanced Technology skill, and Sims with higher Advanced Technology skill are more adept at using them.

There are reports that pets cannot use them.

The Sims 4
Elevators returned in The Sims 4: City Living and could only be placed in penthouses. They do not have any unique elevator animations, unlike previous games, and do not have any other special functionality other than a means of travelling between floors.

Trivia

 * The elevators in The Sims 3 play neighborhood and build mode music from The Sims when used.