My active 95 year old mum has decided that its probably time to give up driving. A decision mainly brought on by her deterioration in strength over lockdown rather than awareness and reactions. As she lives in a very hilly area handbrake control is essential. Planning ahead (as she always does) she's thinking of how she can access local walks along the coast or Dartmoor when lockdown is lifted. She's looking at a 5 mile radius from the house really.
Of course nobody on here will have used one as we are all tooooo vigorous and youthful so any ancient relatives or friends experiences consider please? Range, driving on the road, reliability, rent or buy, weather protection, safety, security storage, training schemes etc. (and like bikes - do the red ones go faster?)
Can't say for mobility scooters, but my son has an electric wheelchair. Its motor is braked so that when his hand is off the joystick it locks the wheels. His has a theoretical 18 mile range on full charge but that depends on speed & terrain and we've not tested the full range yet. There's such a variety that there's likely to be something to meet your demands- it's largely a question of budget.
Also think about how they collapse & weight if, say, she's going out and about in someone else's car and wants to take the wheels.
What’s wrong with an ebike? 🤪
Been through this recently for my dad and I narrowed it down to the following key features:
Stability on rough ground
Width for shop use
Wheel size and material
Hill and weight capability
Range
Ease of repair
Stability is key, they may be heavy but their inherent design means the person on top is the majority of the weight so it's pretty easy to gen one to tip over. The width can be an issue if she wants to use it in shops or not, if she won't or can't (depending on her nearby shops) then go for wider for added stability.
Wheels are a key point, especially on the cheaper ones. Think of it like mountain bikes: 29ers with big tyres cut out chatter better than a skinny-tyres 26er. Getting a larger tyre and wheel combo really does make the things much more comfortable, the same for a pneumatic vs a solid tyre. Some have wheels that are only 4" in total, others go up to 10". My dad went for one with smaller, solid wheels initially and it didn't take long for him to realise that even getting up small dropped kerbs caused issues with jarring and the steering forcefully twisting if he didn't hit them straight-on.
The whole issue of the hill climbing ability is one to particularly pay attention to. It is governed by two things: the torque of the motor and at what angle the whole thing starts to wheelie. A long wheelbase and a high torque motor is the best way to go if you can.
With range get as much as you can. It's all well and good having a theoretical 15 mile range but add in a few hills and low temps and that can easily drop to half. My dad's one had a range of 12 miles but the first winter he was struggling to get more than two days to town and back out of it, up a steep hill and a total distance of 3 miles. Solved it with a bigger battery and some insulation but definitely worth getting the best you can to avoid having to modify it.
Ease of repair is mainly just sticking to main brands, they tend to use common parts.
The absolute best thing you can do though is contact a supplier of multiple brands and arrange a demo day. Finding on she is confident with is the absolute best way to ensure she uses it. There are loads of different models to try.
When my dad chose one he made the mistake of sticking to the budget his old work union fund set him of £900. He ended up with one with low range, small plastic wheels and twitchy steering. He could have had a different model that was £1300 and I would happily pay the difference but he didn't want it due to it's size (wouldn't go into the pub!) and it having pneumatic tyres (punctures). The one he did get I've had to modify by widening the track, bigger wheels with tubeless sealant and a bigger battery. He admitted late last year he should have taken up the offer of the larger scooter.
Good luck with the hunt.
Pretty sure reluctantjumper has it all covered, worth shopping local if you can if you are getting a fairly big one as dealer might offer free recovery in case of breakdown, also make sure you follow the recommended charging regime to keep the battery in good nick.
I'm still recovering from the shame of having to ride my dad's mobility scooter back from the hospital once 😕
Dartmoor you say?
Southwest Mobility in Exeter are good by reputation.
I've ridden more mobility vehicles (3 & 4 wheel ones + wheelchairs) than you'd assume 😁
A mate works for the above mentioned firm and he takes on scooters, etc. that have been part exchanged but can't be resold in the shop.
He does them up, and sells them on eBay.
Ones that can't be sold live in his barn and are used for riding & racing around his very large garden and orchard.
Imagine drunk adults playing live action mario cart on mobility scooters, and you're about there.
As above, torque, wheel size, battery capacity, etc. are all worth thinking about.
I assume he's still selling in the current climate, though may not have much stock.
No warranty on what he sells, but a lot cheaper than from a shop.
Thanks for the replies its really useful info. In terms of stability Mum is very small (5’ was an aspiration she never achieved) and lightweight so her mass isn’t going to be a big factor really. The way she currently sees it being used is to get somewhere (shops, other houses, places to walk) rather than an alternative to walking. If there was a cross country quad bike type arrangement we’d be hard pushed to stop her getting one in her current frame of mind. However we will try to keep her inner Ranaluph Fiennes in check and keep her to local roads. She’d be quite happy to get a second-hand Berlingo conversion for family and friends to help extend her horizons. I agree with the big wheel issue and will explore that kind of option. ajantom I may send you a message when we get closer to the time.
Could she swap to a car that has an electronic handbrake and automatic hill start assist (holds the brake while you juggle your feet)?
Flaperon - she is 95! She moved to her current house/village with the idea that it was better than her previous place so that when she was going to give up driving it had easy access to all the facilities she would need. On that basis and that she is very realistic about everything, if she wants to give up driving proper cars before she has an accident then I'll support her decision. Whilst she has been driving very safely lets quit while we're ahead.
Make sure you go full suss, many rely on the tyres for some cushioning but as your Mum is slight she'll be rocked all over the place by one without suspension.