The fastest mobility scooters commonly marketed to seniors are the ZooMe 3-Wheel Scooter, manufactured by Drive Medical, and the EW-20 3-Wheel scooter from EWheels, both of which feature a top speed of 15 miles per hour. However, the question isn’t as straightforward as it appears, and the market for mobility scooters is rife with inconsistencies and contradictions.
The top speed of a mobility scooter for seniors isn’t as important as other features, such as the driving range or the weight/stability, but it can be helpful nonetheless. Mobility scooters designed to travel more than 10 miles per hour are often marketed more as recreational scooters than mobility scooters.
The Difference a Name Makes
Mobility scooters are designed to provide a safe way for seniors and others who have mobility issues to stay as independent as possible. Part of living in the 21st century is being able to move from place to place quickly, and companies such as Pride Mobility and E-Wheels have taken that idea to heart, combining the speed of a recreational vehicle with the utility of a power chair. As a result, the world has senior mobility scooters, bariatric/heavy-duty scooters and recreational scooters all sharing the same product page and all marketed as equal products to different demographics.
Seniors looking for a mobility scooter that can reach a top speed of 15 miles per hour may be able to utilize the ZooMe 3-Wheel or the similarly designed EW-18, even though they’re labeled as recreational scooters. They can also try the EW-38 or EW-72 bariatric scooters that can each reach a top speed of 15 miles per hour and also have additional features, such as a 43-mile drive range and a 500-pound weight capacity. Of course, these impressive specs come with an equally impressive price, and many might find the $3,600 price tag way out of reach. As a result, many seniors may find themselves returning to the ZooMe 3-Wheel and the EW-20, both of which have a smaller drive range and weight capacity but a price tag of under $1,800.
What Makes the Fastest Mobility Scooter
The top speed of a mobility scooter is the result of a combination of factors, and it varies based on the weight of the rider, the power output of the battery and the design of the motor as well as external conditions, such as road design and terrain. Larger mobility scooters, such as the EW-38 and EW-72, have massive 700-watt motors and two 48-volt 20-ampere-hour batteries to propel the 200-pound scooter and a passenger of up to 500 pounds. In comparison, the three-wheel EW-20 and the ZooMe 3 each feature a 500-watt motor and one 48-volt 12-ampere-hour battery to carry the scooter (128 pounds for the EW-20 and 78 pounds for the ZooMe 3) and a rider of up to 300 pounds.
The more powerful motor of the heavy-duty scooter loses its power advantage once the weight of the scooter and rider are combined, so the fastest mobility scooter is more than likely be the one that — all other factors being equal — is most likely to reach its top speed of 15 miles per hour, and that’s the ZooMe 3-Wheel Scooter.