For drivers with limited mobility, vans provide an ideal vehicle plenty of space to accommodate extra equipment such as wheelchair lifts and hand controls. When it came to Chrysler and the development of its new Ram ProMaster and Ram ProMaster City commercial vans, the automaker worked with aftermarket upfitters to come up with plenty of options for its customers.
Despite the fact that both vans already existed in other markets as Fiat products providing Chrysler with a quick and easy solution for its lacking commercial van, there were still plenty of challenges for getting the two vans ready for the American market. According to Mike Pultorak, product planner for the full-size ProMaster, Ram had to overcome two key obstacles: how to get a person in a wheelchair in and out of the vehicle and make it easy for that person to operate the vehicle.
Ram looked to numerous suppliers to come up with mobility solutions for both vans, including seats that rotate and extend from the vehicle to make it easier to for drivers to get in and out, integrated lifts for scooters and wheelchairs and, most importantly, hand controls so the driver’s without the use of their legs can still accelerate and brake properly.
“Both vans have been outfitted with adaptive equipment designed specifically to provide the limited-mobility commercial customer with the freedom to continue doing the work that they enjoy. With these vans, we’re showing what is possible. These are just two examples of how our full-size and compact ProMaster vans can be adapted to fit the specific needs of these commercial customers,” said Pultorak.
Better yet, Chrysler offers up to $1,000 in reimbursements for aftermarket mobility equipment. The full-size Ram ProMaster is already on sale, and the compact Promaster City available in January with the ability to upfit shortly thereafter.
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