Mobility means freedom! When walking becomes difficult and tedious and you finally lose your car licence it can feel like you have lost your freedom forever.
But there is an alternative – the electric mobility scooter. Regain your freedom now by investing in a high quality mobility scooter. But first there are some things you must consider when buying a mobility scooter.
Considering these options will arm you with the knowledge to make the best possible choice when purchasing a scooter.
Things to Consider when Buying a Mobility Scooter
It is better that you invest a little more and spend time looking after your electric mobility scooter as it will be your primary mode of transport for getting about now and probably more so into the future. The extra care and excess capacity will substantially increase your scooters life.
Carrying Capacity
The law requires that a scooter can only carry one person plus luggage. The best method when selecting a scooter would be to choose one with at least 30kg greater capacity than the users weight.
Range of Scooter
How far an electric scooter can travel depends on several factors. The design capacity of the mobility scooter, steepness of terrain, battery size and the weight of the user must all be taken into account.
A mid sized scooter fitted with standard battery can go approximately 25km before needing a recharge based on a 75kg weight on relatively flat terrain. The range can go up to 45km with a larger scooter and higher capacity batteries.
Scooters Speed
Scooters are legally limited to 10km in Queensland and in Australia as a whole. The same road rules apply for scooters as they do for cars on roads and for pedestrians on footpaths.
How Steep can a Scooter Climb
Average to large sized scooters have the ability to climb slopes relatively easily up to 9 degrees. Small scooters need mostly level ground to function effectively. It all comes down to the design capacity of the mobility scooter.
Registering your Scooter
Registering your scooter first requires that you receive a Doctor’s certificate that clearly states that the scooter is necessary due to severe movement impairment. If you do not have this, the Transport Department will not register your scooter.
At this point of time there is no registration fee.
The Average Life of a Scooter
The average life of an electric scooter can vary significantly. They can vary between 3 to 10 years, depending on the quality of its design and the care you give it.
If properly and regularly serviced scooters will have a longer life.
Servicing the Scooter
Regular servicing of your scooter will extend its life considerably. It can be arranged through the dealer who sold the scooter. We do have a recommended preventative maintenance servicing program for the equipment we supply. More here
Battery Life
When charged daily good quality batteries can last up to 3 years. Getting into the habit of regularly charging the machine after every use will be very useful.
Battery quality does vary – quality batteries have a higher capacity and last longer and have a longer warranty period.
Availability of Spare Parts
Ask your dealer the length of time the brand of scooter has been available in Australia and whether there is a supply of parts. The longer the scooter has been in the country the easier it will be to find spare parts.
Second Hand Mobility Scooters
Cheaper second hand scooters are a risky purchase. Look for the manufacture date and the condition of the scooter. If over 1 or 2 years and its never been serviced I would not touch it.
Better to buy new or closest to new as possible as it will be cheaper and more reliable over time.
Summary
Mobility means freedom. When walking becomes difficult and tedious and you finally lose your car licence it can feel like you have lost your freedom forever.
The above will steer you in the right direction by providing you with 10 things to consider when buying a mobility scooter .
