At last Australia has a real luxury car purpose built to transport wheel-chair passengers! Us Aussies have sadly been stuck with back-yard cumbersome wheelchair access solutions that have been ugly, inefficient and overpriced.
Edward Lee’s can now supply the Australian market with this beautiful Toyota purpose built wheelchair access product. The design is typical Toyota in that it is beautifully engineered to be space efficient, reliable and do the job extremely well.
The clever Toyota Engineers in the TECHS Division have created a 21st Century solution to wheelchair vehicle transport. The design is based on the prestigious Alphard / Vellfire platform that has become a symbol of Asian family wealth and prestige in many parts of Asia. The equipment level in these machines is staggering to say the least, and what a relief…! Until now Aussies in wheelchairs have been relegated to overpriced chopped up Tarago Taxis or basic vans used to transport plumbers or fruit to market!
Now we can have luxurious and comfortable transport that is not only purpose built for wheel-chair access, but caters for the rest of the family too. Options can include: electric side doors, dual sunroofs, leather seats, multiple parking cameras, parking sonar, curtains, seating for up to 8 people or 6 plus wheelchair occupant. The Alphards and Vellfires come with a range of power-plants including the legendary 2.4 litre 4 cylinder that is incredibly fuel-efficient and bullet-proof reliable. Also the 3.0 litre V6 which is silky smooth and powerful. The later model 20 Series update shape also comes with the venerable 3.5 litre quad-cam V6 that is powerful yet returns excellent fuel economy.
The Sloper / welcab design utilizes a remote or push button operated electric rear ramp the folds out at the press of a button. When folded up the space taken up is so small that there is still an ample rear luggage space behind the rear seats for a large set of travel suitcases. The ramp is made of light weight strong aluminium and the design is elegant, simple and bullet-proof (typical Toyota all the way).
The beauty of the design is that once the rear ramp has deployed, the rear suspension hydraulically lowers the rear of the vehicle all the way to the ground so that the slope of the ramp is so shallow that only minimal effort is required to wheel into the car.
Variations on the design allow the wheelchair passenger to be seated either in the back (with the rear row of 3 seats folded up) or in the middle row. A third design allows up to two wheelchair passengers to be transported with one in the rear position and one in the middle row. The design with one wheelchair in the back also has the versatility to allow either 7 or 8 people to be seated in the vehicle without the wheelchair occupant. All variations are safely designed with Toyota tie-down systems and wheelchair occupant seatbelts.
Another popular Welcab variation is the Toyota designed Electric Lifter Chair or Hoist Chair that can be fitted to either the front passenger position or to the middle row. These have been designed primarily for elderly passengers or passengers with limited mobility. The design lowers the seat all the way to the ground beside the vehicle. Once the occupant is seated, strong electric motors hoist the occupant back inside the car to be seated normally at the press of a button. The design is so unobtrusive that the hoist chair is almost undetectable to the casual observer and may be a feature that is only used occassionally.
All these vehicle are fitted with an Australian Compliance Plate and meet Australian Design Rules and safety standards. Edward Lee’s can deliver these cars Australia wide. Optional Dealer Warranties are available.
Call Edward Lee’s, established 1966. 02 97440539 After Hours call Phil Lee 0416 285 333
Please note you can custom order the exact variant to suit your requirements by ordering direct from Japan. Edward Lee’s will tailor a package to suit your budget and specifications. Order time is usually 6-8 weeks depending on availability.
Please note it is also possible to return the vehicle to a standard seating layout as required.
