Benjamin has been independently mobile since 2011and a good 400,000 kilometres. Now he has taken delivery of his second Mercedes V-Class from PARAVAN. In addition to the new model, the new vehicle also has technical advantages that make driving safer and more relaxed.
It's the second of Benjamin's own; he has been driving a car tailored to his individual needs for almost 13 years, since 2015 with his first Mercedes V-Class. Now, after eight years and 220,000 kilometers, he has a new model with many new advantages. "You're flexible and not dependent on others," says the 37-year-old IT team leader, who has been in an active wheelchair since the age of 15. He mainly uses his car to get to work or to travel on business, but of course also to go to therapy sessions or to visit family and friends.
In 2010, he took his practical driving test at the PARAVAN driving school while still a student and then spent the first 200,000 kilometers on the road in a rented vehicle. In 2015, he got his first own V-Class. "The job opened the door for me, for the car," says Benjamin looking back today. Because without the job, he wouldn't have had a sponsor.
He is once again steering his new V-Class with the Space Drive digital driving and steering system and two joysticks. He steers with his right hand and uses his left hand to operate the accelerator and brakes. Otherwise, a few things are different from the previous model: there were lots of analog buttons, including for selecting the driving modes. Now the PARAVAN touch system and voice control are available for operating the secondary functions. "That's the highlight of the new car," says the IT specialist happily. "It allows me to use significantly more functions independently, such as the air conditioning or temperature control". In the past, the passenger had to make the settings or adjustments while driving. "Voice control takes comfort to a new level of mobility." And there are also factory innovations that make driving much more relaxed, such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist and a 360-degree camera.
He gets into the vehicle via the cassette lift. With his E-Motion active wheelchair, he can also drive in front of the steering wheel as before. Permanently connected to the docking station, an additional restraint system moves behind the wheelchair, as well as an additional support for his arm. He took three days for the customisation. His conclusion: "Perfect, even after the first maiden voyage. I was grinning non-stop because it was simply a highlight.
In his private life, he also enjoys travelling longer distances because flying is not his thing. His longest journey took him over 1,600 kilometres to Valencia in Spain. His favourite trip, however, was to Barcelona. "Monaco, Nice, Marseille, always along the sea." The further away, the greater the aha moments, because: "A conversion is a success if I can still drive relaxed after four hours.
