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Mobility challenges? Help is at hand

3 min read

Mobility challenges? Help is at hand
Experiencing diminished mobility as we age can be extremely difficult to cope with –  for ourselves and for our loved ones. When people talk about disability a lot of the focus is on the physical consequences, but coping with the emotional impact that comes with loss of mobility has a profound social and psychological effect on us – the loss of freedom, the knock to your confidence and the feelings of frustration are just as traumatic as the physical.
Nobody wants to feel that their independence and dignity are under threat and diminishing mobility is often accompanied by a passionate determination to maintain independence - whether you have mobility problems yourself, or live with someone who does, there are various resources and mobility aids out there that can help.
If you have trouble getting around, a wheelchair, mobility scooter or walking aid might help. Some – such as walking sticks and walking frames you can borrow from the NHS, for wheelchairs you can sometimes get one or borrow one from the NHS – your GP will refer you to your local wheelchair service for assessment before this can happen. However, lots of people choose to buy their own wheelchair and there are schemes available such as the Motability scheme that can help contribute towards the costs. There are lots of things to think about when looking at wheelchairs - Which has some great advice on choosing a wheelchair that is right for you and your circumstances.

Mobility scooters

You might want to consider a mobility scooter if you struggle to walk or are disabled, need to travel long distances and are able to get on and off a scooter. Mobility scooters are not generally available on the NHS and can range up to £5000 for something like a TGA Breeze S4 in price from mobility aid suppliers and shops, Better Mobility has a list of charities that can help pay towards a scooter.
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One that you should consider is the eFOLDI Lite scooter, the World’s lightest folding mobility scooter from SunTech. They launched it last month and their crowdfunding campaign to fund development of the scooter raised over $30,000 in just a few hours. 

Making travel easier

It’s an award winning and lightweight scooter and has the additional benefit of looking nothing like a traditional mobility vehicle. It can be transported easily in a car or on a plane so you no longer have to face travel restrictions and you can enjoy your freedom much more as it is extremely portable, easy to use and super lightweight – at only 15kg – it’s the perfect travel and mobility companion.
"Richard Branson describes eFOLDI as folding magic"

Easy to use

Users can unfold the scooter in seconds by opening one latch, releasing a pin and rolling it out and it’s packed full of beneficial features that will improve and enhance your day to day journeys and make travelling more accessible for you:
  • It will carry loads of 120kg, and travel up to 22km on a single charge, with a maximum speed of 6km/h. 
  • The battery and rear wheels can be quickly removed to reduce the weight even further down to 12kg. 
  • A high torque motor enables the scooter to climb a 1 in 5 gradient, and it is powerful enough to tackle some of the roughest terrain so you have less limitation with where you can go. 
  • Thanks to its built-in electromagnetic brake system, it will stop quickly and hold securely on any slope.
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Features

● Total Weight: 15 kg with a strong and lightweight magnesium alloy body.
● Carry Weight: 12 kg as the battery and rear wheels are easily removed.
● Portability: It folds into a small suitcase measuring 62 x 53 x 31cm which makes it much easier to handle.
● Carry Load & Turning radius: Up to 120 kg and 1.0 meter turn.
● Range & Speed: Up to 22 km on a single charge & max of 6 km/h (4 mph).
● Climb: 1 in 5 gradient with an electromagnetic brake system.
● Battery & Motor: 24V 10Ah supreme Li-ion battery and 180W high torque hub-motor.
● Charging Time: 5½ hours with a standard charger, and 1½ hours with a quick charger.

Pre-order

Supporters of the campaign can pre-order an eFOLDi Lite on Kickstarter for a super early bird price of £1199 plus a £79 shipping cost - which is 50% off the future retail price. 
The campaign ends on 18th July 2019 - for more information about eFOLDi Lite, visit https://reserve.efoldi.com/?scooter=exclusive

About eFOLDI

eFOLDi is the winner of British Invention of the Year 2016 at The Gadget Show Live and Virgin VOOM runner-up.
eFOLDi began like most good ideas, with a solution to a problem and was designed in tandem by Sumi – MD of Suntech and her father - renowned Chinese engineer Jianmin Wang.
In 2012, Jianmin Wang broke his leg and was unable to get around. This paved the way for the creation of eFOLDi as an alternative method of transport to get around and the prototype was born. In late 2016 eFOLDi went into production, disrupting the mobility scooter industry and attracting attention from every corner of the media. Since then £104,654 was raised on Crowdfunder and in 2018, that sum had soared to nearly £900,000 from international investors.

About Kickstarter

Kickstarter is the most popular crowdfunding platform in the World. The funding goal is the amount of money that a creator needs to complete their project. Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing. No one will be charged for a pledge towards a project unless it reaches its funding goal. 
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