The first thing we need to consider is that electric wheelchairs are all for users, and each user’s situation is different. From the user’s point of view, a comprehensive and detailed evaluation should be made according to the individual’s body awareness, basic data such as height and weight, daily needs, usage environment, and special surrounding factors, etc., in order to make effective selections, and gradually subtract until the selection is reached. A suitable electric wheelchair.

In fact, the conditions for selecting an electric wheelchair are basically similar to those of an ordinary wheelchair. When selecting the height of the seat back and the width of the seat surface, the following selection methods can be used: the user sits on the electric wheelchair, the knees are not bent, and the calves can be lowered naturally, which is 90%. °Right angle is most suitable. The appropriate width of the seat surface is the widest position of the buttocks, plus 1-2cm on the left and right sides.

If the user sits with slightly high knees, the legs will be curled up, which is very uncomfortable to sit for a long time. If the seat is selected to be narrow, the sitting will be crowded and wide, and prolonged sitting will cause spinal deformation, etc. secondary damage.

Then the weight of the user should also be considered. If the weight is too light, the use environment will be smooth and the brushless motor is cost-effective; if the weight is too heavy, the road conditions are not very good, and long-distance driving is required, it is recommended to choose a worm gear motor (brush motor).

The easiest way to test the power of the motor is to climb the slope test, to check whether the motor is easy or slightly laborious. Try not to choose the motor of the small horse-drawn cart. There will be many faults in the later period. If the user has many mountain roads, it is recommended to use the worm motor.

The battery life of the electric wheelchair is also a concern of many users. It is necessary to understand the properties of the battery and the AH capacity. If the product description is about 25 kilometers, it is recommended to budget for a battery life of 20 kilometers, because the test environment and the actual use environment will be different. For example, the battery life in the north will be reduced in winter, and try not to drive the electric wheelchair out of the house during the colder period, which will cause great and irreversible damage to the battery.

Generally speaking, the battery capacity and cruising range in AH is about:

- 6AH endurance 8-10km

- 12AH endurance 15-20km

- 20AH cruising range 30-35km

- 40AH cruising range 60-70km

Battery life is related to battery quality, electric wheelchair weight, occupant weight, and road conditions.

According to Articles 22-24 on the restrictions on electric wheelchairs in the Appendix A of the “Air Transport Regulations for Passengers and Crew Carrying Dangerous Goods” issued by the Civil Aviation of China on March 27, 2018, “the removable lithium battery should not exceed 300WH, And can carry at most 1 spare battery not exceeding 300WH, or two spare batteries not exceeding 160WH each”. According to this regulation, if the output voltage of the electric wheelchair is 24V, and the batteries are 6AH and 12AH, both lithium batteries comply with the regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Lead-acid batteries are not allowed on board.

Friendly reminder: If passengers need to carry electric wheelchairs on the plane, it is recommended to ask the relevant airline regulations before departure, and choose different battery configurations according to the usage scenarios.

Formula: Energy WH=Voltage V*Capacity AH

It is also necessary to pay attention to the overall width of the electric wheelchair. The doorway of some families is relatively narrow. It is necessary to measure the width and choose an electric wheelchair that can enter and exit freely. The width of most electric wheelchairs is between 55-63cm, and some are more than 63cm.

In this era of wanton brands, many merchants OEM (OEM) some manufacturers’ products, customize configurations, do TV shopping, do online brands, etc., just to make a lot of money when the season comes, and there is no such thing as If you plan to run a brand for a long time, you can choose which type of product is popular, and the after-sales service of this product is basically not guaranteed. Therefore, when choosing a brand of electric wheelchair, choose a big brand and an old brand as much as possible, so that when a problem occurs, it can be quickly solved.

When purchasing a product, you need to carefully understand the instructions and check whether the brand of the product label is consistent with the manufacturer. If the brand of the product label is incons istent with the manufacturer, it is an OEM product.

Finally, let’s talk about the warranty time. Most of them are guaranteed for one year for the whole vehicle, and there are also separate warranties. The controller is routinely one year, the motor is routinely one year, and the battery is 6-12 months.

There are also some merchants that have a longer warranty period, and finally follow the warranty instructions in the manual. It’s worth noting that some brands’ warranties are based on the date of manufacture, and some are based on the date of sale.

When purchasing, try to choose the production date that is closer to the purchase date, because most electric wheelchair batteries are directly installed on the electric wheelchair and stored in a sealed box, and cannot be maintained separately. If the battery is left for a long time, the battery life will be affected. 

Battery maintenance points

Friends who have used electric wheelchairs for a long time may find that the battery life is gradually shortened, and the battery is bulged after inspection. Either it will run out of power when it is fully charged, or it will not be fully charged even if it is charged. Don’t worry, today I will tell you how to properly maintain the battery.

1. Do not charge the electric wheelchair immediately after using it for a long time

When the electric wheelchair is driving, the battery itself will heat up. In addition to the hot weather, the temperature of the battery can even reach as high as 70°C. When the battery has not cooled down to the ambient temperature, the electric wheelchair will be charged immediately when it stops, which will exacerbate the problem. The lack of liquid and water in the battery reduces the service life of the battery and increases the risk of battery charging.

It is recommended to stop the electric vehicle for more than half an hour and wait for the battery to cool down before charging. If the battery and motor are abnormally hot during the driving of the electric wheelchair, please go to the professional electric wheelchair maintenance department for inspection and maintenance in time.

2. Don’t charge your electric wheelchair in the sun

The battery will also heat up during the charging process. If it is charged in direct sunlight, it will also cause the battery to lose water and cause bulging to the battery. Try to charge the battery in the shade or choose to charge the electric wheelchair in the evening.

3. Do not use the charger to charge the electric wheelchair

Using an incompatible charger to charge the electric wheelchair may result in damage to the charger or damage to the battery. For example, using a charger with a large output current to charge a small battery can easily cause the battery to overcharge.

It is recommended to go to a professional electric wheelchair after-sales repair shop to replace the matching high-quality brand charger to ensure the charging quality and prolong the battery life.

4. Do not charge for a long time or even charge all night

For the convenience of many electric wheelchair users, they often charge all night, the charging time often exceeds 12 hours, and sometimes even forget to cut off the power supply for more than 20 hours, which will inevitably cause great damage to the battery. Charging for a long time for many times can easily lead to the battery being charged due to overcharging. Generally, the electric wheelchair can be charged for 8 hours with a matching charger.

5. Infrequently use the fast charging station to charge the battery

Try to keep the battery of the electric wheelchair in a fully charged state before traveling, and according to the actual cruising range of the electric wheelchair, you can choose to take public transportation for long-distance travel.

Many cities have fast charging stations. Using fast charging stations to charge with high current will easily cause the battery to lose water and bulge, thus affecting the battery life. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the number of charging times using fast charging stations.