For people who use wheelchairs to get around, this may mean an end to sitting in the back seats of conversion vans when it’s time to hit the road.

Yesterday, automakers unveiled the MV-1, which they says is the first production vehicle ever made specifically with the intent of having passengers in wheelchairs.

The first MV-1was presented to Marc Buoniconti, President of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, and son of NFL great Nick Buoniconti.

“I’m looking forward to getting in there and doing some 360′s and sitting in the front passenger seat to get the view everybody else gets,” Marc told CBS Miami. “I know what an important difference this vehicle will make to my own life… the MV-1 will literally transform daily life for wheelchair users and those who care for them, by making it easier to live a freer, more independent life.”

Prices for the MV-1 start at around $40,000, which CBS Miami says is about $20,000 less than the cost of a conversion van. Makers of the vehicle say they have received orders for about 5,000 so far.

Marc Buoniconti Unveils First Wheelchair-Accessible Car [CBSlocal.com]

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