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Old 08-28-2012, 12:17 AM   #1 (permalink)
puddleglum
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Location: Red Deer, AB
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Lightweight mobility scooter build

This project is about as alternative as I can think of, and it is a form of transportation, so I thought I'd post some pics of my latest project and my first attempt at an EV of any sort.
I had an idea last spring to build a lightweight, folding mobility scooter for my son, from a stand up scooter. Most mobility scooters are bulky and heavy, and even though they come apart for transport, they still take up a lot of luggage space. My design goal was to make it meet the size and weight requirements for standard luggage during air travel. I found out part way through the project that a mobility device is exempt, but I still wanted to come close. It also needed to be stable enough to ride safely. Surprisingly, I found the regulations for a mobility scooter are much less stringent than for a stand up scooter or an e-bike.
So, this is what I started with. I picked this one up as well for spare parts.
My original idea was just to add fold up stabilizers on the sides, It was supposed to be a simple project. When I started to work out how to do it though, I couldn't figure out how to build them to fold like I wanted, spring out of the way enough so the drive wheel wouldn't lose traction on uneven ground and still not give way if he was leaning the wrong way on a slope. I also found that the front of the primary scooter had been bent and straightened, but not very well. I didn't see it until after I had bought it, unfortunately (not the good deal I thought it was). I could have used it, but I hate building things that aren't right. There went simple out the window. Anyway, after exploring several different ideas, one that would have been better but I didn't have the tools to build it, I settled on a three wheeled, FWD design. Here I what I came up with.
It works pretty good, he and I both have been testing it out on vacation. I have found a few minor changes that need to be made, but the hard part is over.

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Almost all my driving is done 1-5 miles at a time.
Best short trip: 2.4 l/100 km, 3.9 km
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