Photo: Ford
Those unfamiliar with BraunAbility's work should know the company is half a century old manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vehicles and wheelchair lifts.
In a nutshell, it makes life easier for people in wheelchairs as back in 1972, the brand's founder was a young man who used a wheelchair and had no reliable transportation to and from his place of work.
Leaving that aside, let's focus on their latest creation, namely the BraunAbility MXV. In essence, the MXV is just a Ford Explorer SUV, but with specific improvements.
For example, the SUV was fitted with sliding doors, removable driver and passenger seats and a power in-floor ramp (28 inches or 71 cm wide) with guiding lights.
Also, the car's cabin was rearranged to allow wheelchair navigation and increased comfort for travellers. The MXV offers 54-inch (137 cm) door height, and as BraunAbility promised earlier this year, the first production unit will be donated to Mike Delancey, a United States Marine paralyzed by a sniper’s bullet while serving in Iraq in 2006.
Under the hood lies Ford's 3.5-liter V6 engine originally found in the Explorer, offering an EPA-estimated rating of 17 city mpg, 24 highway mpg, and 20 combined mpg. Thanks to its muscle - 290 horsepower and 255 lb-ft (345 Nm), the MXV delivers an estimated 5,000-pound maximum tow capacity.
“For our first-ever wheelchair-accessible SUV, it was important we worked with the best,” said Nick Gutwein, BraunAbility president and CEO. “We wanted to create a vehicle that personifies freedom and independence, and the Ford Explorer provides the ultimate base to achieve that.”
Leaving that aside, let's focus on their latest creation, namely the BraunAbility MXV. In essence, the MXV is just a Ford Explorer SUV, but with specific improvements.
For example, the SUV was fitted with sliding doors, removable driver and passenger seats and a power in-floor ramp (28 inches or 71 cm wide) with guiding lights.
Also, the car's cabin was rearranged to allow wheelchair navigation and increased comfort for travellers. The MXV offers 54-inch (137 cm) door height, and as BraunAbility promised earlier this year, the first production unit will be donated to Mike Delancey, a United States Marine paralyzed by a sniper’s bullet while serving in Iraq in 2006.
Under the hood lies Ford's 3.5-liter V6 engine originally found in the Explorer, offering an EPA-estimated rating of 17 city mpg, 24 highway mpg, and 20 combined mpg. Thanks to its muscle - 290 horsepower and 255 lb-ft (345 Nm), the MXV delivers an estimated 5,000-pound maximum tow capacity.
“For our first-ever wheelchair-accessible SUV, it was important we worked with the best,” said Nick Gutwein, BraunAbility president and CEO. “We wanted to create a vehicle that personifies freedom and independence, and the Ford Explorer provides the ultimate base to achieve that.”
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