Automotive mobility expert BraunAbility and Ford have unveiled a wheelchair-accessible vehicle based on the Explorer. Called the BraunAbility MXV, the customized vehicle is the company’s first mass-produced wheelchair-accessible SUV.
According to BraunAbility, the vehicle gives wheelchair users “the quality and dependability of a BraunAbility mobility vehicle” and the adventurous, “unstoppable” spirit of the Ford Explorer.
Introduced earlier this year as a concept vehicle in Daytona, Florida, the BraunAbility MXV features patented sliding-door technology, removable driver and passenger seats, and a powered, lighted in-floor ramp. In addition, the interior space of the vehicle is maximized to create sufficient room for wheelchair navigation and comfort.
Users will be able to drive the vehicle from a wheelchair or ride as a passenger. Additional features include a sliding shifter for increased space, space-saving front seat base design, integrated key fob that operates both door and ramp, available tow package and transfer seat. The vehicle is powered by Ford’s 3.5-liter V6 engine.
Production will start in August at the company’s 170,000-square-foot (15,793 square-meter) manufacturing facility in Winamac, Indiana, with the first vehicles available in early fall. The BraunAbility MXV will be sold at more than 200 authorized BraunAbility mobility dealers throughout the United States.
The first production MXV will be donated to wounded veteran Mike Delancey, a United States Marine paralyzed by a sniper’s bullet while serving in Iraq in 2006. Delancey survived 42 days in intensive care and is now working to open Wounded Warrior’s Abilities Ranch, a place where veterans can strengthen body and mind through exercise and recreation.
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