For situations where you need to take a mobility scooter with you but may not have access to a vehicle that will allow you to transport one while it is all in one piece you need to be able to fold down the scooter to make it possible for transportation in a small car for example.
Some mobility scooters are specifically built for this so that some minor dismantling will allow you to place it in the boot of a car and then when you need to use the scooter it can be quickly reassembled, this doesn’t mean that you are having to undo lots of sections of the scooter, it usually means a few parts of the scooter being easily disconnected from each other to make it much more manageable to fit into a vehicle.
Folding mobility scooters are usually more narrow, they may be lighter because they also wont have the moulded built up look that some scooters have, the idea with a folding one is to provide the basic function that a mobility scooter provides, still with all of the safety that you would expect but with the convenience of being able to transport it easier, without needing a people carrier or a van.
Not all will require you to remove parts, some truly are able to fold down and it’s not difficult to even transport some of these types on a bus or a train, even on a plane, usually you will have to detach the battery pack but that is also designed to be a quick and easy process.
If you need a transportable mobility scooter that doesn’t require having access to a large vehicle then a folding mobility scooter can be ideal and gives you more options on how you can transport it.
I looked at these but found they were not suitable for people around 20 stone so opted for a Pride Celebrity X Sport and a pair of telescopic ramps, with tiller and seat folded it just goes into back of my Peugeot 206SW estate car, I have to reverse it up the ramps, when wheels just enter car switch to freewheel mode, lift scooter front a little to clear raised ramp sides to stop scooter grounding on them then roll into car, once loaded disengage freewheel mode to stop it moving while in transit, I find it much easier than taking apart and lifting the heavy parts into car. It would be nice to see cars tested to see if they are capable of transporting scooters in this way and a list of possible models listed. I would like a small 4×4 design with higher seating to get in and out easier but like a van with side windows that emits CO2 under 120 so it qualifies for £35 excise duty.
Yes it’s unfortunate that there is a limitation in weight capacity.
I agree that for many people the preference is going to be the most ideal way to load their mobility scooter into a vehicle without having to take things apart.
It’s a really good point that you make regarding cars being tested to see which ones can handle the loading and storage of mobility scooters.
I think theres good reason for some car and other vehicle manufacturers to seriously consider this, as there are improvements with regards to emissions but it should not be forgotten that accessibility is equally important.
[…] and off of a bus without problems, the only way to take a mobility scooter onto a bus is with a folding one, and preferably one that folds without any or too many parts having to be removed […]