http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/72379455/new-30kmh-mobility-scooters-set-to-hit-footpaths-roads-as-new-business-launches New 30kmh mobility scooters set to hit footpaths, roads as new business launches JOEL MAXWELL September 25 2015
[images http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/7/4/j/6/9/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.173ccf.png/1443159695498.jpg A three wheeler mobility scooter looking faster in red http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/7/4/j/6/d/image.related.StuffPortrait.238x286.173ccf.png/1443159695498.jpg A four wheel version of the high-speed mobility scooters set to be sold in New Zealand http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/7/4/j/6/4/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.173ccf.png/1443159695498.jpg Inside a high-speed mobility scooter ] A three wheeler mobility scooter looking faster in red. Mobility scooters that hit speeds up to 30kmh are headed to New Zealand as a mechanic-turned-importer launches an ambitious start-up. But the threat of silent, high-speed scooters "whipping along" the footpath has some worried. Hutt Valley man Garry Stanley is importing the electric-powered scooters, which he says don't need a licensed driver, a Warrant of Fitness, or registration. Inside a high-speed mobility scooter. The machines were built in China for elderly people, and under New Zealand law can be driven on the footpath or road, he said. Formerly a mechanic, Stanley become interested in electric transport about 15 years ago - even converting a vehicle to electric power by fitting a forklift motor into a Mitsubishi station wagon. After suffering a hip injury, he could see the time was coming for a mobility scooter for himself, Stanley said. He was importing car equipment from China and while browsing online discovered the fully-enclosed mobility vehicles manufactured there, he said. New Zealand law changes in 2004 removed size and speed limits, Stanley said, and simply required drivers travel at speeds that won't endanger themselves or others. People could drive on the road if there was no footpath, as long as they stick to the left, he said. "All of a sudden I had a vehicle, I knew existed, which was going to be legally allowable here." Now he has launched his business Newage Vehicles. Stanley said the electric scooters were made in China for years, called "elderly carriages" - with three seats, fully enclosed and designed to beat cold temperatures, and rough terrain in the north of the country. In Chinese society there is a greater emphasis on extended families, he said. "Accordingly they're not making single seat scooters for their market, they're making a scooter that takes grandpa and grandma and one of the kids. Or grandpa and two of the kids." He said he spent about $20,000 importing five mobility scooters in a container from China and started building interest by advertising them in Facebook buy-and-sell pages around New Zealand. The ship carrying the container is on its way and expected to arrive in mid-October. Meanwhile Stanley will have a mix of elder-population numbers for customers in his surrounding region. Wellington and Porirua have the lowest retiree populations in the country, at about 10 per cent each, but South Wairarapa has a silvering population, and Kapiti one of the highest - one in four over 65. Head of the Kapiti Older Persons Council John Hayes said he was concerned infrastructure wasn't in place in New Zealand for high-speed scooters. Forcing cyclists, pedestrians and existing mobility scooters to mix in a shared space was already causing issues, he said. Mobility scooters "whipping along" footpaths at 30kmh could be a problem, he said. "One of the issues is that they are so silent. People can be startled, and even at relatively slow speeds there have been causes for concern." Stanley said the scooters offered better protection for drivers, including a "crumple zone" around the driver. They came with a two-speed controller - the fast setting would be marked for use on the road, and the slow for footpaths, Stanley said. "When was the last time that too much speed and too much power was a problem when it was in the hands of the old people? It's the same scenario with the boy racers." NZ Transport Agency spokesman Anthony Frith said the agency wouldn't be "making any declarations on the hop" about whether any particular make of vehicle was compliant or able to be registered. He gave the legal requirements, provided online, for mobility vehicles under law. They must be designed and constructed for people with physical or neurological impairment, and powered by a maximum-1500 watt motor. If the vehicle meets these criteria then the driver doesn't need a licence, or a warrant of fitness or registration for the vehicle. Drivers are allowed on the road, and must ride carefully and be considerate of others on the footpath. There is no maximum speed - the law states they must not ride at speeds that put other footpath users at risk. BY THE NUMBERS The Newage Vehicles scooters will have a top speed of about 30kmh. They are fully enclosed with a plastic body. They are 1.9m long, by 93cm wide, by 1.55m high. They have a range of 40km to 160km depending on the number of batteries fitted. The motor is 1000 watts. [© stuff.co.nz] ... http://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=35044 New Class EV Poses Challenge 02-Oct-2015 They're not your traditional motorscooter nor are they an automobile. 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