In Case You Missed It: Automotive


For each product category in the Consumer Guide, we’ve collected a handful of items that appeared in NM in 2014. In some cases the original article is longer, so we’ve provided the link, in case you’d like to look up more information:

Chairiot Solo
(June, Accessible Electric Cars: Soon?)
ChairiotThe Chairiot solo is the first (and possibly only) of the single person electric vehicles customized for wheelchair users to actually hit the market. With a rear entry hatch and ramp that allows manual wheelchair users to roll right in, the Chairiot solo might be the answer for people looking for an easy, efficient way to cover longer distances without purchasing a car or accessible van. The Chairiot solo charges on a standard outlet and can go up to 50 miles on a full charge at speeds of 25 mph (35 in some areas). The current model only works with manual wheelchairs and is not recommended for quads, or those with limited upper body strength or hand control. The interior is small, maybe leaving room for a couple of small bags, but not much else. Starting at $18,995, the Chairiot solo does not come cheaply. Rivals Kenguru and EcoCentre also have very similar vehicles in the works, but have yet to deliver any to market stateside.

www.chairiot-mobility.com/Home.html

Hand Controls
(June, Motorvation)
CodyUGoKartsLearning to drive, safely, is a serious matter for everyone. To maintain control of a rapidly moving vehicle in a flow of traffic takes finely-tuned motor skills and an extraordinary level of alertness, sometimes for hours at a time. Adding paralysis to that mixture increases the complexity of the situation. Fortunately, we are benefiting from the work of early driving pioneers and manufacturers who developed the tools and mechanisms to help drivers with paralysis maintain their “safe driver” status.

Hand controls are currently available to operate airplanes, construction machinery, boats, long haul trucks and all-terrain vehicles. It seems apparent that the future of hand controls will continue to evolve based on the needs, and restricted only by the imaginations, of those who use them.

Here is a list of good sources for a variety of control types. Make sure to read the full June feature for more details.

• Carospeed Menox, Auto Adapt; www.autoadapt.com/en/products/hand-controls/carospeed-menox/
•  Scott Driving System and similar products, Driving Systems Inc., 818/782-6793; www.drivingsystems.com
•  Electronic Mobility Controls, 207/512-8009; www.emc-digi.com
•  Guidosimplex, 888-599-8267; www.guidosimplexusa.com
•  Kempf, 888/453-6738 or 408/773-0219; www.kempf-usa.com
•  Monarch, MPS Corp., 800/243-4051; mps-handcontrols.com
•  Mobility Products & Design, 800/488-7688; www.veigel-na.com/de/main-veigel-north-america
•  Sure Grip, 506/363-5289 or 888/370-5050; www.suregrip-hvl.com
•  Wells-Engberg, 877/864-8267; www.performancemobility.com/driving-aids/hand-controls/wells-engberg-hand-controls.php

ATVS
(September, Motorvation)
CalhounATVrainbowHuntMany wheelers, prior to sustaining a spinal cord injury or whatever else put them in a wheelchair originally, were active people who spent much of their time enjoying outdoor recreation. More and more of us are rejoining our families and friends in those same outdoor pursuits using all-terrain vehicles or utility vehicles. The main difference between the two is that UTVs can haul at least two people, seated side by side, and some can handle cargo, while ATVs are mainly for personal use.

There are many more choices for outdoor activities, from all-terrain wheelchairs to the eight-wheeled workhorse Argo UTVs that will haul six people plus cargo while fording rivers and traversing swampland. All are better options than sitting at home every day. As Steve Bucaro says about driving ATVs: “It is an absolute blast! Whether you ride desert sand dunes, take weekend camping trips or race like me, it is an awesome feeling of freedom!”

Here is a list of good sources for a variety of vehicles and options. Make sure to read the full September feature for more details.

• Arctic Cat: arcticcat.com/atv/
• Argo: www.argoatv.com
• Can-Am: can-am.brp.com/off-road/atv.html
• Honda: powersports.honda.com
• Polaris: www.polaris.com/en-us/
• Suzuki: www.suzukicycles.com
• Yamaha: www.yamahamotorsports.com (Other vehicle brands are also available)
• Absolute Mobility, 800/376-8267; www.absolutemobilitycenter.com


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