The indoor adaptability of mobility scooters depends on the size and mobility parameters. Take the Drive Medical Scout as an example. Its minimum turning radius is 0.9 meters (with a standard door frame width of 0.8 meters), and its weight is 58 kilograms (including the battery). It can turn flexibly in 90% of residential corridors (with a width ≥1 meter). According to the 2023 study in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, Models equipped with suspended front forks (such as Pride Mobility Go-Go Elite Traveller) have a 63% lower jolt transfer rate on hardwood floors (with a friction coefficient of 0.4) than rigid chassis, and are suitable for users with an average daily indoor moving distance of 3.2 kilometers. But some medical-grade mobility scooters, such as Merits Health S-141, are 64cm wide and can only pass through 75 percent of indoor door frames (standard 70cm wide).
Outdoor performance is determined by power and terrain adaptability. The EV Rider Transport AF+ is equipped with a 500W brushless motor (peak torque 45N·m), capable of climbing a 12° slope (industry average 8°). When paired with 8-inch pneumatic tires (tire pressure 35psi), its passing efficiency on pebble roads (particle size ≤3cm) is 41% higher than that of solid tires. Its 48V/20Ah lithium battery still maintains 85% of its capacity in an environment of -10℃ (lead-acid batteries only maintain 50%), and the cruising range reaches 32 kilometers (at a speed of 20km/h). However, tests show that after continuous outdoor use for 2 hours, the motor temperature rises to 72℃ (the safety threshold is 80℃), and it needs to be forcibly cooled and shut down for 15 minutes.
Regulatory compliance affects all-scenario usage. The EU EN 12184 standard requires that outdoor mobility scooters have a maximum speed of ≤6km/h (in public place mode) and be equipped with front and rear lighting systems (lumen value ≥1000lm). The British BS ISO 7176-19 stipulates that the waterproof grade needs to reach IPX4 (splash-proof), while the American ADA Act mandatorily requires that the electromagnetic braking distance be ≤0.4 meters (at a speed of 1.2m/s). For instance, after the TGA Breeze S5 passed the above-mentioned certification, the outdoor accident rate dropped from 0.7 times per thousand kilometers to 0.1 times, but the cost increased by 23% (the selling price rose from £3,200 to £3,950).
Economic efficiency needs to balance the demands of both scenarios. The five-year total cost of ownership (TCO) of Golden Technologies Compass is $4,200 ($1.3 per day per day), among which the wear rate of outdoor tires is three times that of indoor ones (annual average replacement cost of $180 vs $60). If the user uses it indoors 80% of the time, choosing solid tire models (such as Buzzaround EX) can reduce the maintenance cost by 62%, but the passage efficiency of pebble roads decreases by 58%. The Australian government’s subsidy program reimburses 40% (up to A $2,000) of dual-mode mobility scooters, driving the market share of such products to rise from 17% in 2021 to 34% in 2023.
Technological innovation breaks through environmental limitations. The Whill Model C2, which will be launched in 2024, is equipped with a four-wheel drive system (with a torque of 22N·m per wheel). Its traction efficiency on sandy ground (particle size ≤1mm) is 73% higher than that of the two-wheel drive model, and in the indoor mode, the wheelbase is automatically reduced to 56cm (standard width 64cm). Its solid-state lithium battery (with an energy density of 320Wh/kg) supports a working range from -20℃ to 50℃, and the number of charge and discharge cycles can reach 1,200 times (800 times for traditional lithium batteries). However, this technology increases the overall cost of the machine by $1,800 and is only applicable to high-frequency users who mix and use it for ≥4 hours per day on average.
User behavior data reveals choice preferences. Statistics from the US CDC show that 72% of mobility scooters users have both indoor mobility (an average of 1.8 hours per day) and short outdoor trips (an average of 0.7 hours per day) every week. Among them, the satisfaction rate of the group choosing the adjustable suspension (such as Roma Medical R200) with the carpet (thickness ≥1cm) and the gentle slope (≤5°) reached 94%, while the complaint rate of those not equipped was as high as 31%. A survey in Tokyo, Japan, shows that the usage efficiency of folding mobility scooters (such as Cobbler J-Cruise) in tram transfer scenarios has increased by 52%, but it takes 45 seconds to unfold/store (for non-folding immediate use).