Paravan GmbH
German manufacturer of disability-accessible vehicles, power wheelchairs and drive-by-wire mobility technology.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Paravan GmbH is a German company based in Pfronstetten-Aichelau, a village of roughly 270 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, that develops and builds vehicles converted for people with disabilities, power wheelchairs, and — until 2022 — the drive-by-wire technology Space Drive. Its stated mission is to restore mobility and independence to people with physical disabilities, and its product range spans vehicle conversions for drivers and front- and rear-seat passengers, custom power wheelchairs, and the Space Drive digital steering and braking system. The company grew out of a tyre business. Roland Arnold founded Reifenservice Arnold in 1989, and in 1997 — after helping a woman lift her paraplegic husband into a car at a motorway car park — he began converting vans and other vehicles for disabled drivers, starting with a Chrysler Voyager. Working from a garage on his brother's farm, Arnold developed the first generation of the Space Drive drive-by-wire system, acquiring his first patents in 2003. Paravan GmbH itself was established in 2005, and Arnold built a 50,000 m² mobility park in Aichelau with his own funds. Paravan's portfolio has three main strands: electric wheelchairs (including the PR-50, which in 2008 became the first power wheelchair to receive EU-wide approval as a car seat, and the PR Biolution standing and therapy chair with biometric hip and knee joints), vehicle conversions for disabled drivers and passengers, and — historically — the Space Drive steer-by-wire and drive-by-wire technology. Space Drive allows a car to be driven with a four-way joystick without a steering wheel or pedals, and was the first such system in Germany to receive TÜV and road approval. In 2021 a converted Tesla Model 3 became the first steering-wheel-free car to receive German road approval on the basis of this technology. Ownership has changed over time. In 2011 Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG took a 25.1% stake in Paravan, increasing it to a 51% majority in 2015. In 2018 Roland Arnold bought all Paravan shares back from Würth and formed a joint venture with the Schaeffler Group called Schaeffler Paravan Technologie GmbH & Co. KG, in which Schaeffler held 90%; the joint venture acquired the Space Drive technology from Paravan GmbH as of 1 October 2018. In November 2022 Schaeffler took over the joint venture completely, ending Paravan's involvement in Space Drive. Paravan continues to operate its core business of accessible vehicles and wheelchairs, with roughly 160 employees as of 2023, a headquarters and mobility centre in Aichelau, a sales and competence centre in Heidelberg, and branches in numerous countries including the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The company is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, and its Space Drive technology met the ISO 26262 functional-safety standard. Roland Arnold and his wife Martina also run the Roland & Martina Arnold Paravan Foundation, founded in 2010, which supports people with disabilities, particularly children.
History
Paravan's history begins with a tyre business. In 1989 Roland Arnold founded Reifenservice Arnold as a tyre specialist. In 1997, after helping a woman lift her paraplegic husband into a car at a motorway car park in pouring rain, Arnold began converting vehicles of various brands, especially vans, for disabled drivers. The first Paravan model was built on the basis of a Chrysler Voyager. Working from a garage on his brother's farm, Arnold developed a drive-by-wire system that would become Space Drive, and in 2003 he acquired his first patents; components for the first generation of Space Drive soon went into production. Paravan GmbH was formally established in 2005, and Arnold built an ultra-modern 50,000 m² mobility park with his own money in Pfronstetten-Aichelau, a community of 270 inhabitants in Baden-Württemberg. In 2008 the company developed the PR-50 electric wheelchair, which became the first power wheelchair to receive EU-wide approval as a car seat. In August 2010 Roland Arnold and his wife Martina founded the Roland & Martina Arnold Paravan Foundation, which focuses on helping disabled children whose families receive insufficient support from social insurance and on representing the interests of disabled people in public bodies. In 2011 Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG acquired a 25.1% stake in Paravan GmbH. In 2013 the company developed the PR Biolution standing and therapy chair with biometric joints at the hip and knee. In 2014 Paravan expanded to the United States with a branch in Dayton. In 2015 Adolf Würth GmbH acquired further shares and became majority owner with a total stake of 51%. In the same year, at the Solitude Revival, the company presented what it described as the world's first steer-by-wire racing car, based on a WTCC (World Touring Car Championship) race car. In 2017 Paravan developed the Cloui, a vehicle platform for autonomous electric cars. In 2018 Roland Arnold bought back all Paravan shares from Würth and founded a joint venture with the Schaeffler Group named Schaeffler Paravan Technologie GmbH & Co. KG. The Schaeffler Group held 90% of the joint project, which aimed to further develop the Space Drive drive-by-wire technology and new mobility systems. As of 1 October 2018, the joint venture acquired the Space Drive technology from Paravan GmbH. In mid-2019 a race car equipped with Schaeffler Paravan steer-by-wire started as a demonstration run in the DMV GTC racing series; it was the first car approved by the German Motor Sport Federation (DMSB) with this technology. In July 2020 a Porsche with Space Drive started in the ADAC GT Masters series at the Lausitzring. In September 2020 a Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 completed a 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, also with Space Drive. In June 2021, during a 24-hour race, a vehicle without a mechanical steering column competed for the first time in the higher GT3 class: a Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished 16th overall at the Nürburgring. Three GT3 vehicles with Space Drive also started in the 2021 DTM season. In 2021, based on this technology, a converted Tesla Model 3 became the first steering-wheel-free car to receive German road approval. In September 2022 Janis McDavid, who was born without arms and legs, received a racing licence for a vehicle equipped with Space Drive. In October 2022 the technology was used for the first time in an official rally race, when driver Fabio Schwarz steered a car with steer-by-wire in the final round of the German Rally Championship. In November 2022 Schaeffler took over the former joint venture completely, ending Paravan's involvement in Space Drive. In April 2024 Paravan became one of five companies investing in the Hockenheimring, and announced that Lars Soutschka would join the leadership team as General Director. As of 2023, Paravan reported approximately 160 employees. The company is headquartered in Pfronstetten-Aichelau, where its administration, its own driving school for disabled people and its mobility centre are located. It operates a sales and competence centre in Heidelberg, where it also runs a driving school in the Aktiv-Reha-Center, and has branches in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the United States.
- 2024
Paravan invests in the Hockenheimring and appoints Lars Soutschka as General Director.
- 2022
Janis McDavid receives a racing licence for a Space Drive vehicle; the technology is used in an official rally race for the first time; Schaeffler takes over the joint venture completely in November.
- 2021
A converted Tesla Model 3 becomes the first steering-wheel-free car to receive German road approval; a Mercedes-AMG GT3 without a mechanical steering column finishes 16th overall at the Nürburgring 24-hour race.
- 2020
A Porsche with Space Drive starts in the ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring; a Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 completes a 24-hour race at the Nürburgring with Space Drive.
- 2019
A race car with Schaeffler Paravan steer-by-wire starts as a demonstration run in the DMV GTC series.
- 2018
Roland Arnold buys back all Paravan shares from Würth and forms the Schaeffler Paravan joint venture; the joint venture acquires the Space Drive technology as of 1 October.
- 2017
Paravan develops the Cloui, a vehicle platform for autonomous electric cars.
- 2015
Adolf Würth GmbH becomes majority owner with a 51% stake; Paravan presents the world's first steer-by-wire racing car at the Solitude Revival.
- 2014
Paravan expands to the United States with a branch in Dayton.
- 2013
The PR Biolution standing and therapy chair with biometric hip and knee joints is developed.
Products and positioning
Specialist provider of customized mobility solutions for people with disabilities, combining vehicle conversion, wheelchair manufacturing and drive-by-wire technology.
Space Drive
A redundant drive-by-wire and steer-by-wire system that allows a car to be driven with a four-way joystick without a steering wheel or pedals. It was the first such system in Germany to receive TÜV and road approval (under ECE-R-10, ECE-R-13 and ECE-R-79). Developed by Paravan and later transferred to the Schaeffler Paravan joint venture in 2018.
PR-50
An electric wheelchair developed in 2008 that became the first power wheelchair to receive EU-wide approval as a car seat.
PR Biolution
A standing and therapy chair developed in 2013 with biometric joints at the hip and knee.
Cloui
A vehicle platform for autonomous electric cars developed in 2017.
Vehicle conversions
Custom conversions of vehicles of various brands, especially vans, for drivers and front- and rear-seat passengers with disabilities.
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