People, who have difficulty walking around, were for many years forced to build their own wheelchair or have one custom built to their specifications. Beginning in the eighteen-hundreds, several companies began manufacturing wheelchairs and by the nineteen-thirties, a steal framed wheelchair had begun being manufactured, which would be the basis for future generations. The mobility scooter is relatively new, with the first one appearing during the nineteen-sixties.



All over the world, people use mobility scooters if they have difficulty walking. There are many available that can be chosen from, many offer extra features to help make the device easier to use and safer.

Others are manufactured so that they can be as lightweight as possible. These models, called travel scooters, are made so that they can be quickly taken apart. When disassembled there are usually five pieces that most people can place in their trunk without assistance. The heaviest piece is generally less than thirty pounds.

Other scooters are usually much heavier, but can still be taken in a similar manner, but the heaviest piece is usually over fifty pounds. This is because these scooters offer extra features and comforts.

Some people opt for a heavy duty scooter, which can be driven pretty much anywhere. They have superior ranges, sometimes over forty miles on a single charge, and are able to support more weight than other mobility scooters. While outdoors, a heavy duty scooter can be driven virtually anywhere, they tend to have a larger turning circle than other scooters. This means that in the tight corners of a living room, a heavy duty scooter might not perform as well as a smaller scooter.

Most other scooters can be driven outdoors, but are not going to provide the same service or dependability that a heavy duty scooter offers. They can, however, be driven over the outdoor ground, but it is a good idea to stick to only solid well packed surfaces.

The range varies by model. Some mobility scooters can travel less than five miles per charge and some can travel more than fifty miles per charge. The average is around ten miles per charge though. Other factors can influence a scooters range, such as the weight of the rider or driving the mobility scooter up a steep hill.

It is a good idea to regularly charge the scooter, but the amount required depends on how often it is used. A scooter that is driven every day would probably need to be charged everyday. On the other hand, a scooter that is only driven once a week would need much less charging. Some people like to purchase an extra battery pack, which they will switch out when the scooter looses its charge. In this manner, there is never a lapse in usage, because as soon as the scooter begins to loose power, the battery can be swapped.