BraunAbility – the World Leader in Mobility Vehicles – Selects Ford Explorer to Create First-Ever Wheelchair-Accessible SUV
July 24 2015 - 1:00PM
Business Wire
- BraunAbility introduces its first-ever
wheelchair-accessible sport utility vehicle – the BraunAbility
MXV™
- BraunAbility-customized Ford Explorer –
the best-selling SUV in the U.S. for the last 25 years – will be
the company’s first mass-produced wheelchair-accessible SUV
- BraunAbility revolutionized what
independence means to wheelchair users, and has established itself
as a world leader in the mobility business
As our nation marks 25 years of the landmark Americans with
Disabilities Act, BraunAbility and Ford Motor Company are
introducing a vehicle with the potential to change the face of an
industry and bring greater mobility to people in wheelchairs.
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As our nation marks 25 years of the
landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, BraunAbility and Ford
Motor Company are introducing a vehicle with the potential to
change the face of an industry and bring greater mobility to people
in wheelchairs. (Photo: Business Wire)
The BraunAbility MXV™ – a wheelchair-accessible vehicle based on
Ford Explorer – gives wheelchair users the quality and
dependability of a BraunAbility mobility vehicle and the
adventurous, “unstoppable” spirit of the world’s best-selling sport
utility vehicle. The BraunAbility MXV is the company’s first-ever
volume production SUV offering.
Named for founder Ralph Braun, the Winamac, Indiana-based
company has revolutionized what independence means to wheelchair
users, establishing itself as a world leader in automotive mobility
products, including wheelchair-accessible vehicles and lifts for
consumer, commercial and taxi markets. Braun, who passed away in
2013 at the age of 73, was honored as a Champion of Change by
President Barack Obama in 2012.
The MXV concept vehicle was introduced earlier this year in
Daytona, Florida, when BraunAbility celebrated the moment by
promising the first production MXV would be donated to wounded
veteran Mike Delancey. Delancey, a United States Marine paralyzed
by a sniper’s bullet while serving in Iraq in 2006, 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.
Production of the new MXV will begin in August in BraunAbility’s
170,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Winamac, with
vehicles available in early fall. The BraunAbility MXV will be
available for purchase at more than 200 authorized BraunAbility
mobility dealers throughout the United States.
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 ample room for wheelchair navigation and
comfort.
“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.”
BraunAbility scoured the popular SUV segment in search of the
right vehicle before settling on Ford Explorer – the best-selling
SUV in the U.S. for the last 25 years.
Innovative sliding-door technology and the lighted, in-floor
ramp are highlights, but they are just two of the features that
make this a uniquely accommodating ride. Wheelchair users will be
able to drive the vehicle from a wheelchair, or ride as a
passenger. Additional features include:
- 54-inch door height
- 28-inch ramp width
- Sliding shifter for increased
space
- Space-saving front seat base
design
- Integrated key fob that operates both
door and ramp
- Available tow package
- Transfer seat capable
With Explorer’s middle-row seat removed, the BraunAbility MXV
provides interior space to fit the most common power wheelchair
models, and its 56-inch cabin height provides a spacious interior
for a comfortable ride.
Featuring a 3.5-liter V6 engine, the BraunAbility MXV delivers
performance and capability Explorer drivers have embraced for
years, including an EPA-estimated rating of 17 city mpg, 24 highway
mpg and 20 combined mpg. Actual mileage will vary. The MXV also
delivers an estimated 5,000-pound maximum tow capacity.
“The MXV is a revolutionary vehicle, and we’re thrilled with
Explorer’s role in helping bring it to market,” said Craig
Patterson, Ford utility vehicle marketing manager. “For 25 years,
the Explorer name has symbolized freedom and adventure, and the
BraunAbility MXV adds another chapter to that story.”
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across
six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants
worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and
Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor
Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its
products worldwide, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
About BraunAbility
BraunAbility is the world’s leading manufacturer of wheelchair
accessible vehicles and wheelchair lifts in the mobility industry.
Founded nearly 50 years ago by Ralph Braun, the corporation was
built on the age-old adage, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
Ralph Braun was a young man who used a wheelchair and had no
reliable transportation to and from his place of work. He built his
first wheelchair-accessible vehicle in 1972, and since then the
company has grown into the most well-known and experienced name in
the mobility industry, bringing independence to millions of
individuals across the world.
For news releases, related materials and
high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150724005626/en/
Ford Motor CompanyMark
Schirmer313.390.8647mschirme@ford.comorWilliam A.
Mattiace313.390.4958wmattiac@ford.comorBraunAbilityMegan
Wegner574.595.0478megan.wegner@braunability.com
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