The design of the Kenguru (Hungarian for “kangaroo” and pronounced the same) allows mobility-limited people to drive a car solely from their wheelchairs. The alternative, outfitting a van for wheelchair accessibility, costs over three times as much as the Kenguru price tag of $25,000—and that’s without zero-emission EV or vocational rehab incentives. Short neighborhood trips to places like a convenience store, park, or nearby mall are the Kenguru’s specialty. It’s over a foot shorter than the smart fortwo.

The Kenguru allows drivers to get into the car and drive without leaving the wheelchair. To enter the vehicle, the driver pushes a button and remotely opens the back (only) door. (No room for passengers.) A ramp comes down. Wheel the chair in and drive the car. Lock it when you stop. Kenguru dashboardThe current model has motorcycle bars for handling and is designed for manual wheelchair-users like people with MS, who have upper body strength. A joystick-steering model is in development for people who use electric wheelchairs.

An Electric Car Designed Especially for People in Wheelchairs

Istvan Kissaroslaki, a Hungarian-born, American-educated veteran of the European auto industry and a company specializing in handicapped mobility equipment, developed the Kenguru. The collapse of Lehman Brothers blindsided his venture before manufacturing could start. Enter Stacy Zoern, a lawyer from Pflugerville, Texas, who has spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic neuromuscular disorder. Zoern has never walked. Together, they started small-scale production in Pflugerville and then formed Community Cars, based in Austin.

Thirty investors and $4 million later, they put the first Kengurus on the road.

This electric car is specifically designed for people in wheelchairs

http://www.kenguru.com/