Braun Leads Mobility Industry With Most Certified Vehicle Platforms
The Braun Corporation announced today the successful completion of safety testing for the soon-to-be-introduced 2011 Honda Odyssey and 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country.
Online, April 21, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Braun Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vans and wheelchair lifts, announced today the successful completion of safety testing for the soon-to-be-introduced 2011 Honda Odyssey and 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country. Braun now leads the mobility industry in safety with 37 validated vehicle platforms since 1991.
These new products join the 2011 Toyota Sienna, which was introduced in 2010 following the completion of safety testing. The Sienna along with the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, and Honda Odyssey are the most popular minivans in the industry. Braun is the only manufacturer to have completed safety testing and to offer all four vehicles.
"Safety has always been and always will be of utmost importance to us," said Nick Gutwein, president of Braun. "Our vehicles go through extensive testing, covering both U.S. and Canadian Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), to ensure that our customers are driving a truly safe vehicle."
Independent third parties are utilized to objectively test Braun's vehicles and then review and confirm accuracy of the test results. An engineering and scientific consulting firm, Exponent, Inc., reviews Braun's testing procedures and the results obtained for Braun vehicles.
"There are no compromises in the area of safety," said Mike Pugh, director of vehicle engineering for Braun. "Our high engineering standards and strong focus on customer satisfaction consistently yield the best vehicles in the mobility industry."
After the vehicles have passed safety testing, the National Mobility Equipment Dealer Association (NMEDA) publishes the test results online for consumers to review. Braun leads the mobility industry with five platforms receiving a "pass" rating in all FMVSS categories within the lowered-floor side-entry minivans category. The five platforms include the Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country Entervan, Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country Companionvan SE, Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country Entervan XT, Honda Odyssey Entervan, and Toyota Sienna Rampvan XT.
Braun's commitment to safety includes future standards, as well. The 2011 Honda Odyssey was tested, and passed, using the 2016 requirement for side impact, FMVSS standard 214.
"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration frequently updates its requirements to enhance safety for vehicle occupants," said Gutwein. "It is our priority to ensure that all Braun vehicles are meeting both the current and upcoming future standards."
For more information about Braun and its extensive line of wheelchair accessible vehicles, visit http://www.braunability.com.
About The Braun Corporation
The Braun Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vans, ramps, and wheelchair lifts. Braun products enable people with physical disabilities to regain mobility and lead active and independent lives. The Indiana-based company was founded by Ralph Braun, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at a young age and unable to walk by age 15. Ralph was motivated by his disability to invent the world's first electric scooter (the Tri-Wheeler) and wheelchair lift (the Lift-A-Way) in his parents' garage. Word spread and demand for the product increased, resulting in the birth of Save-A-Step Manufacturing, which ultimately became The Braun Corporation. The company offers the most diverse line of vehicle platforms in the industry, including the most popular minivan models from Dodge/Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota. For more information, or to find a dealer near you, please visit http://www.braunability.com.
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