The header photo is our car – a Renault Austral Iconic Esprit Alpine (what a mouthful!) SUV. A small or compact SUV by US standards, medium by European standards. We have much smaller/narrower roads than in North America for example, so our vehicles are correspondingly smaller.
Are some of you already tearing your hair out and/or screaming about environmentally-unfriendly gas-guzzlers? I suspect you are. And, although it is actually none of your damned business, I am going to tell you why I – and many other disabled people – have no choice but to drive an SUV.
Rant_Alert
My wife is a wheelchair user. (Insert separate rant here, if I only had spoons enough and time, about how people say “wheelchair-bound” when in fact it sets her free – especially ‘cos it’s a power chair and she can take herself places). I am also disabled and incapable of lifting a wheelchair – especially a 26kg (approx 54 lbs in old money) one. So there is an electric power hoist in the back of the car that takes care of that. These larger chairs and hoists just don’t fit in the typical non-SUV. Also, we both need a car that is higher off the ground as getting in and out of a lower one would be at best painful and at worst impossible.
So… may I suggest plugging in brain before opening mouth before automatically ‘getting the vapours’ about SUVs?
Also… before you say “But the gas-guzzling!”
That car is a full hybrid. A small (1.2litre) petrol engine, plus a battery and electric motor. It runs in EV mode as much as possible. During the warmer months we were seeing 62 miles per gallon from it. Even now, during the Winter when the battery is less efficient plus heating is on, we’re seeing 45mpg. This makes it more economical than many non-SUVs.
We used to have the choice of MPVs (Multi Purpose Vehicles). Indeed, two cars ago we had a Vauxhall Zafira MPV. But MPVs went out of fashion and can no longer be had. So thanks for that, car industry.
Any questions?
Thank you for attending this Ted Talk.
End_Rant
