BraunAbility Selects Ford for First Wheelchair Accessible SUV

July 27, 2015

July 27, 2015—Ford Motor Company and BraunAbility have teamed up to introduce a wheelchair accessible vehicle, the companies announced on Friday. The BraunAbility MXV, a wheelchair-accessible vehicle based on the Ford Explorer, is the company’s first-ever volume production SUV offering.

The MXV concept was introduced earlier this year in Daytona, Fla. During the announcement, BraunAbility promised the first MXV would be donated to wounded veteran Mike Delancey, who served in Iraq in 2006 and was paralyzed by a sniper’s bullet during duty.

Production of the MXV will be in August in BraunAbility’s 170,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Winamac. Vehicles will be ready 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. The interior space has also been designed to create maximum space 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.”

Additional features of the MXV 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

“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.”

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