Handicap Accessible

[CompTrex]

So I was reading about the LIT. Apparently the CEO got into an accident or something and ended up wheelchair bound for a while leading to another 24 month production delay. A couple of thoughts came out of it.
One problem he said he ran into was that with a small company, an accident to the CEO took a huge toll on the company. He determined that the company relied too much on his influence and input so when he was out of the picture, design and everything slowed way down. I hope that nothing happens to Mr. Elio, but also, if something does, I hope that the company has the support that it needs to move forward.
The second thought: The CEO of LIT, now being immobilized has been thinking about accessibility, so I took it a step further. A wheelchair bound person cannot drive a motorcycle. They cannot put their feet down to stop, and there is no where to store a wheelchair on a bike. They cannot drive a normal car without modifications to the driving controls to make the vehicle hand controlled.
So how about a version of the Elio that has hand / motorcycle like controls to operate? And would need a place and a way to store a wheelchair.
So here's my thought: take out the drivers seat and replace with a hydraulic lift. Take out the door and replace with a gull wing. The person could wheel up to the door, open it up, push a button and a hydraulic platform would come out of the car. The person wheels his chair onto the platform and locks it in place, then the lift takes him and his chair into the cabin. Hand controlled, and off he goes!
Feel free to pick this apart, but I think I may be onto something!

 

[RUCRAYZE]

I think, that's why they "invented" vans w/ electric ramps, removed driver's seat, and had room to install all necessary assistive technology to allow the person to have as much control/independence as possible.

Regarding activities like biking, having worked in rehab and special needs,
I call it the blind bus driver syndrome . A visually impaired kid growing up wants to be a bus driver, and the parents, teachers not wanting to share reality, string along. Then when the kid gets older......

With the money, and desire 3 wheel bikes have been modified to accomidate a driver with disabilities, however there are occasions when "reality bites"
I'm 73, biked 50+ years, ran 6 marathons in my 30's, and my knees, back, and prior head injuries, let me know I won't be riding or running long distances.
My assistive technology is the Elio!! (or that 3 wheel Toyota(which ever comes first))

 

[Frim]

So I was reading about the LIT. Apparently the CEO got into an accident or something and ended up wheelchair bound for a while leading to another 24 month production delay. A couple of thoughts came out of it.
One problem he said he ran into was that with a small company, an accident to the CEO took a huge toll on the company. He determined that the company relied too much on his influence and input so when he was out of the picture, design and everything slowed way down. I hope that nothing happens to Mr. Elio, but also, if something does, I hope that the company has the support that it needs to move forward.
The second thought: The CEO of LIT, now being immobilized has been thinking about accessibility, so I took it a step further. A wheelchair bound person cannot drive a motorcycle. They cannot put their feet down to stop, and there is no where to store a wheelchair on a bike. They cannot drive a normal car without modifications to the driving controls to make the vehicle hand controlled.
So how about a version of the Elio that has hand / motorcycle like controls to operate? And would need a place and a way to store a wheelchair.
So here's my thought: take out the drivers seat and replace with a hydraulic lift. Take out the door and replace with a gull wing. The person could wheel up to the door, open it up, push a button and a hydraulic platform would come out of the car. The person wheels his chair onto the platform and locks it in place, then the lift takes him and his chair into the cabin. Hand controlled, and off he goes!
Feel free to pick this apart, but I think I may be onto something!

I can visualize it. However, the first thing that comes to my mind is that the cost of the lift might be equal to or greater than the cost of the Elio. I want mine with the 76-78 Monte Carlo swivel seats to facilitate access. That will be my first mod.

 

[floydv]

I think that would be quite an engineering challenge. Even if you could modify the Elio to incorporate gullwings and a hydraulic lift and still retain its original shape, you then have the ripple effect of needing to redesign or at the very least substantially bolster the frame to retain a portio of the OEM frame's crashworthiness. And then, after all that, you'd probably have to consider a bigger engine or one with significantly more torque to handle the added weight of the frame mods, gullwings, and hydraulic lift. I suspect all that will put you way over $6800.

With that said, nearly anything is possible with enough money.

 

[Rickb]

 

[WilliamH]

So I was reading about the LIT. Apparently the CEO got into an accident or something and ended up wheelchair bound for a while leading to another 24 month production delay. A couple of thoughts came out of it.
One problem he said he ran into was that with a small company, an accident to the CEO took a huge toll on the company. He determined that the company relied too much on his influence and input so when he was out of the picture, design and everything slowed way down. I hope that nothing happens to Mr. Elio, but also, if something does, I hope that the company has the support that it needs to move forward.
The second thought: The CEO of LIT, now being immobilized has been thinking about accessibility, so I took it a step further. A wheelchair bound person cannot drive a motorcycle. They cannot put their feet down to stop, and there is no where to store a wheelchair on a bike. They cannot drive a normal car without modifications to the driving controls to make the vehicle hand controlled.
So how about a version of the Elio that has hand / motorcycle like controls to operate? And would need a place and a way to store a wheelchair.
So here's my thought: take out the drivers seat and replace with a hydraulic lift. Take out the door and replace with a gull wing. The person could wheel up to the door, open it up, push a button and a hydraulic platform would come out of the car. The person wheels his chair onto the platform and locks it in place, then the lift takes him and his chair into the cabin. Hand controlled, and off he goes!
Feel free to pick this apart, but I think I may be onto something!

My heart goes out to the disabled people, but a version specifically for them at the manufacturers expense makes no sense. Further, you have not provided any information on the market for these unique vehicles. How many people does this affect?
Should we then have pacemaker manufacturer create versions of their product shielded against EMP so the users could continue to use arc welders? When do reasonable accommodations become unreasonable?

 

[Sethodine]

EM's reliance on Paul Elio for vision and leadership was actually listed as a primary risk factor in their Reg. A+ filing with the SEC. Essentially, if anything happened to Paul, then the entire project could come to a crashing halt.

As to Elio accessibility, I imagine that would be another place for the aftermarket to step in. Already, handicap-accessible vehicles are the purview of third-party customizers. The thing is, I'm not sure if the roofline of the Elio is tall enough to support a typical wheelchair-seated person. Rather, I think a better solution would be handholds to aid in lifting oneself in/out of the Elio, and perhaps an exterior rack for mounting a fold-up wheelchair to the outside of the Elio (just behind the driver door).

 

[Rickb]

My heart goes out to the disabled people, but a version specifically for them at the manufacturers expense makes no sense. Further, you have not provided any information on the market for these unique vehicles. How many people does this affect?
Should we then have pacemaker manufacturer create versions of their product shielded against EMP so the users could continue to use arc welders? When do reasonable accommodations become unreasonable?

Anybody could be disabled in a split second and it would be life changing. Manufacturers aren't going to develop and manufacture an 'ability' product unless there is a market demand to justify it. The only thing people with a variety of abilities require, deserve, and expect is accessibility. Driving an Elio is not at the top of their wish list.

The Kenguru Car has a target market.

 

[Rickb]

EM's reliance on Paul Elio for vision and leadership was actually listed as a primary risk factor in their Reg. A+ filing with the SEC. Essentially, if anything happened to Paul, then the entire project could come to a crashing halt.

As to Elio accessibility, I imagine that would be another place for the aftermarket to step in. Already, handicap-accessible vehicles are the purview of third-party customizers. The thing is, I'm not sure if the roofline of the Elio is tall enough to support a typical wheelchair-seated person. Rather, I think a better solution would be handholds to aid in lifting oneself in/out of the Elio, and perhaps an exterior rack for mounting a fold-up wheelchair to the outside of the Elio (just behind the driver door).

...........or somebody could step in to replace Paul and move the Elio along at an even faster pace. My preference over crashing halt.

Regarding Lit Motors, the C-1's development seemed to stop long before Danny Kim's tragic MC accident. Which is why I requested the refund of my reservation deposit.

 

[WilliamH]

Anybody could be disabled in a split second and it would be life changing. Manufacturers aren't going to develop and manufacture an 'ability' product unless there is a market demand to justify it. The only thing people with a variety of abilities require, deserve, and expect is accessibility. Driving an Elio is not at the top of their wish list.

The Kenguru Car has a target market.

You hit the nail right on the head. The Kenguru is well designed. Access from the rear so you don't have to worry about idiots parking so close that you can't get in. The steering assembly has all of the controls built in. The "safety belt" secures the driver in place. It's a great example of designing something for a purpose rather than hacking something to do a job it wasn't originally designed for.
And incidentally, you nailed it. One minute you are recovering from a spinal fusion, and the next your heart starts throwing atrioventricular stops and a few hours later you are one of the 250,000 people with a pacemaker. Guess if it has to happen there's no better place than in a hospital.