No discussion of scooter specifications is even halfway-complete without digging into batteries. As Part 1 mentions, lithium batteries are lighter than traditional lead acid batteries, but there are considerations for overseas travel. Firstly, it is important to note that restrictions around lithium batteries are subject to change. This is the case both for aeroplane and cruise ship travel. So, what are the key figures? Watt hours (Wh) are the most important of the lot. Usually shown somewhere on the outside of the battery casing, this is a must-know before booking foreign (or domestic) travel by plane or boat. Wh relates to the rate at which battery power is used. The current IATA (International Air Transport Association) standard for lithium battery safety is that no more than 300Wh are acceptable for a lithium battery pack if it is to fly (the same figure generally applies to ships)

An airsafe lithium battery pack from Motion Healthcare

A Bit More on Batteries

That 300Wh figure isn’t necessarily the only consideration which a particular carrier may apply, but it is one which all carriers will apply. If you’ve got a lithium battery pack rated above 300Wh, you won’t be allowed to take it on a plane. So, amongst scooter specifications, watt hours are right up there with the most important.

There’s one more quick point to note before we move on from batteries. That is the difference between on and off-board charging. Off-board charging batteries can be removed from the scooter for charging, whilst on-board ones cannot be. Some boot scooters in particular offer both on and off-board charging.

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

Whilst wheels are the most important aspect of how your scooter interacts with the terrain, the seat is the most important aspect of how your scooter interacts with you. You could have the fanciest scooter in the world. But, without a suitable seat? It’s not likely to meet your needs all that well.

Scooter seating generally becomes heftier and more solid (not to mention better-padded) as you move up through the scooter size brackets. The most lightweight mobility scooters often have minimalist seating options to save weight. Such seating, while not ideal for longer journeys, works just fine for the shorter trips such scooters are designed for. At the other end of the scooter size spectrum are generously-upholstered captain’s seats – sometimes even with heating. Case in point is the heated seat on the LuXe Mobility X800 Odyssey, shown above in close-up.

Taking Control of the Situation

As you’d probably expect, the larger mobility scooters have more complexity to their controls. There’s a lot more to driving a Cabin Car than to driving a small boot scooter – and that’s before control functions for the optional extras on that particular scooter are taken into account!

That isn’t to say that the larger scooter is better than the smaller scooter, or vice versa. Instead, it’s to say that, when it comes to scooter specifications, there are always trade-offs. What is perfect for one person may not be perfect for another. To that end, if you have any questions you’d like to ask before you buy – then get in touch and ask them!

As always, thanks for reading