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Vehicle Production Group MV-1 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Remember the Standard Taxi from the Vehicle Production Group? It's now called the MV-1, and production is slated to begin next year at the AM General plant in Mishawaka, Indiana. That's the same assembly location where the Hummer H2 is built, which makes sense since the MV-1 is based on the same GM underpinnings as the behemoth SUV.

According to its makers, the MV-1 is the first purpose-built wheelchair-accessible vehicle in America, and it's able to accommodate up to six adults or two full-size wheelchairs. An ADA-approved ramp that stows under the vehicle's floor and a 36-inch wide side opening are designed to make entry and exit a simple affair.

With its body-on-frame construction made with fully boxed rails, the MV-1 should prove to be a durable people mover and its well-known GM drivetrain components should also be easily serviceable. Further, VPG has teamed up with Clean Energy to develop a dedicated compressed natural gas powertrain option that will provide a 250-mile range with significantly reduced emissions.

Styling wise, the MV-1 may not be the prettiest machine on the road, but for those needing to transport wheelchair-bound passengers, this design may just be a thing of beauty. See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.


Gallery: Vehicle Production Group MV-1


[Source: VPG Autos, Detroit Free Press]

AM General to build VPG MV-1 people-mover at Hummer H2 factory originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cng taxiCngTaxicompressed natural gasCompressedNaturalGasgeneral motorsGeneralMotorsgmh2hummerhummer h2HummerH2mv-1standard taxiStandardTaxivehicle production groupvehicle production group mv-1VehicleProductionGroupVehicleProductionGroupMv-1vpgwheelchairwheelchair accessiblewheelchair accessible carwheelchair accessible taxiWheelchairAccessWheelchairAccessibleWheelchairAccessibleCarWheelchairAccessibleTaxiWed, 21 Oct 2009 13:41:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19203219/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/10/21/am-general-to-build-vpg-mv-1-people-mover-at-hummer-h2-factory/19203219/article-detail.xml 19203219 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/vpg-mv-1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/vpg-mv-1.jpg <![CDATA[AM General to produce wheelchair-accessible transit vehicle]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/14/am-general-to-produce-wheelchair-accessible-transit-vehicle/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/14/am-general-to-produce-wheelchair-accessible-transit-vehicle/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/14/am-general-to-produce-wheelchair-accessible-transit-vehicle/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


While General Motors looks over a stack of offers for its HUMMER brand, the fate of AM General hangs in the balance. The military contractor developed and built the original Humvee until the rights to the HUMMER name were bought by GM, who then contracted AM General to continue building the H1 (until it was discontinued) and then the Chevy Tahoe-based H2. (The Chevy Colorado-based H3, meanwhile, is built entirely by GM at its Shreveport, Louisiana plant.) With the future of its General Motors contracts uncertain, AM General has announced a new deal of another kind.

Starting in 2010, the Indiana-based company will begin producing a new series of wheelchair-accessible transit vehicles for the Vehicle Production Group, LLC. Although, as VPG points out, the usual development gestation period for such vehicles is two to three years, VPG and AM General intend to get the ramp-equipped para-transit vehicle to market in less than 24 months. Over 3,500 units have already been ordered, leading VPG to project that annual production will well exceed that number, while AM General intends to use the same workforce it currently employs for the new project. As for what the para-transit vehicle will look like, no one knows, but there was word of AM General developing a new version of the Standard Taxi (see above) with a low ride height and large doors that appears as if it could easily accommodate wheel chairs.

[Source: Detroit News]

AM General to produce wheelchair-accessible transit vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>am generalAmGeneralhmmwvhummervehicle production groupVehicleProductionGroupvpgwheelchair accessiblewheelchair-accessibleWheelchairAccessibleThu, 14 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1282060/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/08/14/am-general-to-produce-wheelchair-accessible-transit-vehicle/1282060/article-detail.xml 1282060 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/staxi1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/staxi1.jpg -1 2