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The converted e.GO Life can be ordered from e.GO Mobile or from one of the manufacturer's sales partners. The conversion will then take place at Sodermanns in Wassenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia. "The e.GO Life is also registered there and assessed by the TÃœV in the form of an individual acceptance", it says in an accompanying message. The costs for the vehicle conversion are up to 100 percent eligible, for example through the so-called vehicle assistance. As a specialist in handicapped accessible vehicles, Sodermanns can advise on this. Regardless of the renovation, the e.GO Life qualifies for the environmental bonus.
The 20 adjustments that are intended to make driving a small electric car easier for people with disabilities include a fully automatic wheelchair loading system or a foldable transfer aid for easier boarding and loading of a wheelchair. In addition, driving aids such as left-hand throttle, a multifunction steering wheel knob, a hand-held device for accelerating and braking, a swivel and swivel seat for the passenger side, a camera system for looking to the side and to the rear if the neck rotation function is restricted, orthopedic car seats or additional handles for and get out.
Optionally, the so-called space drive technology from Paravan - a license partner of Sodermanns Automobile - can also be installed. The electronic steering and braking system dispenses with the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering gear; impulses are only transmitted electronically. We know this drive-by-wire system from motorsport or automated industry. In the case of the e.GO Life, it is intended to accommodate people with less muscle strength and severe motor impairments.
"In the past few years the number of inquiries regarding the conversion of electric vehicles has risen continuously", says Frank Sodermanns, managing director and founder of Automobile Sodermanns. “This also applies to small e-city vehicles such as the e.GO Life. Due to the special design of electric cars, there are of course challenges with the conversion. This specifically concerns the battery, the space, the weight and the integration into the vehicle electronics - challenges that we know how to master well with 25 years of experience. "
According to Dr. Matthias Kreimeier, Head of Sales at Next.e.GO Mobile SE, thanks to the cooperation, a new category of mobility is made accessible to people with disabilities - “namely that of sustainable, robust and modern vehicle concepts that are ideal for use due to their size and equipment is suitable in urban areas. â€Next.e.GO Mobile also wants to enable people with disabilities to be dynamic and agile in the city center. “A vehicle this size with a robotic arm is unique,†​​he adds.
Incidentally, accessibility and participation are also an issue in the charging process: This week, the National Charging Infrastructure Control Center and the Berlin association Sozialheld *innen publicized their collaboration to make new charging infrastructure accessible to people with disabilities right from the start.
After an initial exchange with charger manufacturers and operators (CPOs), according to the state-owned NOW GmbH, the involvement of people with disabilities as experts on their own behalf as well as associations is now starting. On the charging specialist side, the manufacturers Compleo CS, Alpitronic and Siemens as well as the CPOs Ionity, Fastned and EnBW mobility + are also at the table. The declared aim is to define specific requirements for barrier-free charging infrastructure, because norms or standards for this do not yet exist in Germany.