micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility

So after my 2nd heart attack last January, I got really tired of being stuck in the house and only able to go to stores that had their own electric carts.

Too many stores either had no carts at all (chiefly malls) or carts that were unavailable, inoperative, or left unplugged with no charge (grocery stores).

I had essentially been housebound since 2018 when I had the first heart attack. 2019 was one complication after another.

When I got medically cleared to go back to the office, we shut down for Covid... aaand here we are.

This chair really gave me my life back. It's $2,200 on Amazon and that's counting paying a little extra for the extended range (20 AH, 17 mile) battery. The chair with the standard 12 AH 13 mile battery is $2,000 and rated for airline/cruise ship travel.

Both batteries are AC 100 – 240 Volt, 50 Hertz, at 1.5 – 5 amperes and charge through a standard 3 prong XLR port. It comes with a standard 24V 2A charger in the box. A 24V 3A charger is available separately.

Maximum speed, 4 miles per hour, maximum incline 6°. Auto brakes at 9° downhill. The control stick is true analog, a slight touch barely moves the chair, fully pushing the stick is full power.

Max power can be set with up and down buttons. 0.8mph, 1.6mph, 2.4mph, 3.2mph, or 4mph

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD6BFM95

Rated to carry 350 lb. which is far better than most electric wheelchairs. It has a feature where it folds and unfolds itself automatically:

https://youtube.com/shorts/q3185mokjZ8

The control stick has a fold and unfold button, hold it until it beeps, then press the horn button and the chair will completely fold or unfold on it's own.

Once folded, it's basically the size of a large suitcase, weighs 67 pounds with the battery, and can be hauled around in the back of most cars or SUVs.

If I reach a point where I'm incapacitated and can't drive myself, there are two options:

1. It comes with a wireless remote so someone else can drive me.

or:

2. Each of the two motors in the back has a release lever, disengaging both motors and turning the chair off allows it to be pushed like any other wheelchair. When engaged, each motor is 250w for a total of 500w.

2 is also a good feature for when I need to go somewhere that has 1 or 2 steps for entry. Put the chair in manual and push up the steps.

After a year, I've successfully driven on the usual surfaces, but also gravel and dirt. The only thing it couldn't handle was soft, wet, grass and DEEP gravel. The wheels get stuck in the mud.

Only damage it has sustained are small scratches to the bottom of the metal kickplate from repeated folding and unfolding on asphalt. Nothing unexpected.

Replacement parts, including both motors and all the wheels, extra batteries, fast charger, etc. are all available from the manufacturers website:

https://comfygomobility.com/products/iq-7000-electric-wheelchair-replacement-parts

I have yet to be in a situation where I've completely run out of power. The LED display doesn't really give you a good idea of how many miles you have left, it's a gradiated display, so:

🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢 = 55% - 100% power (17 miles)
🟢🟢🟢🟢 = 35% - 55% (9.35 miles)
🟢🟢🟢 = 20% - 34% (5.78 miles)
🟡🟡 = 12% to 19% (3.23 miles)
🔴 < 12% (2.04 miles)

After running all around 2 floors of an indoor/outdoor mall one day and a Costco the next day, I was still at
🟡🟡

3-year frame, 1-year motor, 1-year battery, and 1-year electronic parts warranty.

4 frame colors and 9 seat cushion colors = 36 different combinations. Clearly black and red is the cool one. :)

My regular readers may remember that two years ago, I was winning so hard at life that I bought myself...

https://bikebus.world/

We've already seen cycling computers that sport headlights, cameras and even giant batteries, but Wahoo Fitness may now have them all beat. The company's new "first-in-its-class" Elemnt Ace cyclometer packs an integrated wind speed sensor.

A preliminary injunction will maintain the current restrictions for the duration of an environmental lawsuit over cycling access.

The phrase 'gotta get my steps in' has become part of everyday life. But what if there were a simpler, faster way to meet your daily activity needs?