Maintenance

Getting the most out of your battery

The Quingo team want to make sure you know how to get the most out of your scooter’s battery and make it last as long as possible when you are out and about.

What is the maximum range of my Quingo?

Quingo scooters are designed to meet the needs of our users, so our scooters last as long as possible when on the go. The size of your model will affect the maximum range. This is because bigger models such as the Toura and the Vitess have a larger batteries.

See below for the maximum range of the Quingo scooter models:

Model Range
Quingo Compact Up to 8 miles
Quingo Air Up to 10 miles
Quingo Classic Up to 23 miles
Quingo Plus Up to 30 miles
Quingo Vitess Up to 30 miles
Quingo Toura Up to 55 miles
Quingo Flyte Up to 23 miles

 

What can affect the range of your Quingo?

The maximum range of your Quingo can be affected by a number of things, so to get the most of your battery it’s worth bearing in mind the following factors that will affect the range of your Quingo scooter:

  • Incorrect charging – make sure you fully charge your battery after use. Part charging will eventually damage the battery and reduce the range of your Quingo.
  • Cold weather – your battery’s performance will decrease as the temperature drops. So make sure you fully charge your scooter before you go out, particularly during the winter months.

Quingo Scooters

  • Low tyre pressure – if you are experiencing low range with your scooter, low tyre pressure could be the reason. Tyre pressures should always be kept correct to get the most from your battery. See below for a list of recommended tyre pressures:
Model Tyre Pressure
Quingo Compact N/A
Quingo Air 30psi 2.1 bar
Quingo Classic 30psi 2.1 bar
Quingo Plus 30psi 2.1 bar
Quingo Vitess 30psi 2.1 bar
Quingo Toura 30psi 2.1 bar

 

  • Worn batteries – as your battery gets older, the range of your scooter will decrease.
  • Weight – the more weight carried on the vehicle the lower the range will be. This is particularly useful to know if you are planning on shopping for some heavy items before going on a long journey.
  • Terrain – taking your Quingo up steep slopes will make your scooter work harder, this will reduce the range. Another thing that will affect your Quingo’s range is the type of ground. If you use your vehicle on grass, shingle or generally soft ground the power consumption will double. This means the range of your scooter could decrease by up to 50%.
  • Accessories – any accessories that require battery power (for example the heated handle grips) will reduce the range of your Quingo, so plan your journey accordingly if you are using these accessories.
Quingo Scooters
Heated Handle Grips

 

The above points are things to bear in mind, particularly if you are taking your Quingo on long journeys. If you have any questions about your Quingo please fill in the enquiry form, or to book a scooter service please call our customer service number on 01582 430 900. We’ve also written a useful guide to battery care to provide some extra information to make sure you get the most out of your Quingo.

Attractions

Taking your Quingo to a National Trust Property

We always encourage our Quingo scooter users to get out and about on their 5 wheel scooters, and in this blogpost we’ll take a look at accessibility in some of UK’s favourite historical properties.

The National Trust is an organisation committed to developing and promoting  access solutions in their properties. We know our customers enjoy visiting National Trust sites, so we’ve provided some information about accessibility in National Trust properties, and what you should check before you travel.

Quingo Scooters

Basic Access at National Trust Properties

Wherever possible the Trust admits scooter users into their historic buildings. This is subject to any physical limitations of the building and any temporary constraints enforced on the day. It’s also worth noting that all National Trust properties have adapted WC’s for disabled visitors.

While most National Trust properties have a good degree of access we would always recommend that you telephone the individual site to check any accessibility issues before you go. For more information on basic access at National Trust properties, visit the Trust website.

Things to Check before Travelling

Below are list of things to check with the individual property before you travel:

  • Access to property – naturally some National Trust properties are very old, this means they might have certain areas which have very restricted. Fortunately your Quingo has a very good turning circle, but it may be wise to check to see if any areas are just not suitable for any mobility scooter to avoid being disappointed when you get there. Accessible ramps and lifts are installed in many properties but not all. This may affect your route around the property, so it is best to check with the specific site before you go. If you’re unsure about the size of your scooter you can check the specification sheet that came with your scooter or see our handy dimensions chart below.
  Quingo Compact Quingo Air Quingo Classic Quingo Plus Quingo Vitess Quingo Toura
Length 100 cm (103 cm with basket) 39.4 inches (40.6” with basket 107 cm (124.5 cm with basket) 42” (49” with basket) 122 cm 48 inches 122 cm 48 inches 127 cm (139 cm with basket) 50” (55” with basket) 139 cm (150 cm with basket) 54” (59” with basket)
Width 54 cm 21.3 inches 56 cm 22 inches 64 cm 25 inches 64 cm 25 inches 62 cm 24.4 inches 67 cm 26.4 inches
Total Unladen Weight 55.5 kilograms 122.4 pounds 56.5 kilograms 124.5 pounds 100 kilograms 220 pounds 103 kilograms 227 pounds 116 kilograms 256 pounds 163.9 kilograms 361.3 pounds


  • Toilets – The National Trust say that all sites have adapted WC’s for disabled users so this shouldn’t be a problem. If you have a larger class 3 scooter such as the Quingo Plus, Quingo Vitess or the Quingo Toura, we’d advise you to check with the individual site that the WC can accommodate you.
  • Unstable surfaces – the site you are visiting may have areas of gravel or mud. We’d recommend that you don’t drive your scooter on rough, unpaved ground or soft mud. You may need to find out where these areas around the site are, and plan your route around the grounds accordingly.
  • Access to Tea Rooms – once you’ve spent your day enjoying the grounds, you may want some time to relax and enjoy the refreshments on offer. It’s best to find out if the tea rooms have accessibility ramps or lifts for your scooter. Quingo 5 Wheel scooters offer a superior turning circle and unequalled agility compared to 4 wheel scooters, so rest assured that navigating the tea room should be no problem at all.
  • Steep slopes – some grounds may feature very steep inclines. If possible, you should try to navigate around these if they are beyond the recommended limit for your particular model.
  • Car parking – most National Trust sites have disabled parking for users with a disabled parking badge. Users should also check that the pavements from the car park to the property are paved and scooter friendly.

We want to hear from you

The Quingo team love to hear about new and exciting places our users have been, if you want to share your National Trust story and send some photos please send them to [email protected] and we can post them on our blog.

If you have any points we think we have missed – please let us know by completing the enquiry form so we can make sure Quingo scooter users are as informed as possible.

News

Quingo scooter user interviewed by the BBC sets up campaign group

The Quingo team were excited to hear a story on the BBC this week about David Bachini, a Quingo scooter user from Luton.

What’s the story?

According to the BBC, around 80,000 mobility scooters are sold every year in the UK, and the fact that this number is increasing means that the issue of vehicles blocking pavements is a problem that’s recently drawn greater attention in the media.

Police say it’s the responsibility of councils to deal with vehicles that are parked on the pavement, and that parking on the pavement is only illegal if there’s a ‘dangerous obstruction on the public highway.’

However, the problem of having to navigate around parked cars has clearly become a nuisance to Mr Bachini.

Disabled Against Drivers Parking On Pavements

Mr Bachini, 73, has set up a campaign group called DAD POP. It stands for Disabled Against Drivers Parking On Pavements – and it currently has over one hundred members.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Bachini said:  “Mobility scooter users that go out for an afternoon ride are often inconvenienced in such a way that their own lives are put in danger and they have to use the road, which shouldn’t be allowed.”

Class 3 scooters that can travel up to 8mph are designed for road travel, though they can drive on pavements too at reduced speeds. Class 2 scooters have a maximum speed of 4pm and are intended primarily for pavement use.

New legislation?

The Highway Code has a section of rules for powered wheelchairs and mobility scooter users, which refers to the difference between Class 2 and Class 3 scooters.  The rules outline the different considerations for travelling on the pavement and travelling on the road.

There is no current legislation in place to deal specifically with the issue highlighted by Mr Bachini. That’s why Mr Bachini is calling on the government to change the law to give the authorities the power to remove vehicles parked on the pavement.

Safety is our priority

The Quingo team prioritise your safety and comfort above everything else. We work and comply with the Department for Transport’s Code of Practice; we want you to get the most out of your Quingo 5 wheel scooter by regaining mobility without compromising your well-being.

Quingo Scooters

Our friendly staff will always carry out a comprehensive assessment on each of our customers to ensure that they are eligible to travel safely on their scooter. We only want you to enjoy the benefits of Quingo if you’re safe and able to do so.

The Blue Diamond Driver Check is a free Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) compliant safety assessment that illustrates you meet the required standards. It entitles you to display the Blue Diamond badge on your Quingo, signalling to those around you that you’re both safe and able.

Public Transport

Taking your Quingo on a tram

In the third of a series of articles about taking your Quingo scooter on public transport, today, the Quingo team want to talk about taking your scooter on trams.

Taking your Quingo on the tram

The majority of modern tram services in the UK have developed high levels of access. Much like buses, tram companies are not obliged by law to carry mobility scooters, but some will if they meet specific criteria.

Permit schemes

Currently, of the six tram operators only some carry a permit scheme, so you should always check the specific details with the individual operators. If an operator doesn’t run a permit scheme, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t accept mobility scooters, but it may mean that whether you can take your Quingo on the tram is left to the discretion of the conductor.

In November, the BBC reported on how a mobility scooter ban on Manchester’s Metrolink trams was lifted after a trial. The trial lasted from March to early November and during that time more than eighty permits were issued.  This demonstrates the demand for people with mobility scooters to take their vehicles on public transport.

As of April 2014, all tram companies with permit schemes used the same size restrictions that are used on buses. To find out more about taking your scooter on the bus you can look at our recent blog post, visit the RICA website or contact your local bus company.

Planning your journeys

For service information, you should contact your individual tram operator. All have online and telephone information explaining the details of the fares and assistance offered, in addition to access information.

Specific details about each of the tram operators’ policies is outlined on the RICA website. However, the information is dated from April and we encourage you to contact each tram operator if you’re uncertain about any of the individual details of their policies.

Allows mobility scooters (as of April 2014) Permit Scheme (as of April 2014)
Blackpool (Tramway) Yes Yes
Croydon (Tramlink) Yes No
Manchester (Metrolink) Yes Yes
Midlands (Midland Metro) Yes No
Nottingham (NET) Yes No
Sheffield (Supertram) Yes Yes

 

Get in touch

We want you to have the best possible experience when using your Quingo and hope that you’ve found this blog post to be helpful.

If you’ve been anywhere interesting on your Quingo, we’d love to hear about it. Please send your stories and any photos to [email protected] and we can post them on our blog.

News

Quingo receive customer service award

The Quingo team are delighted to announce that we’ve received an award commending the feedback we get from Quingo Scooter users.

Feefo’s Gold Award – reviews that you can trust

As a result of our customer service over 2014, we were awarded with the Feefo Gold Trusted Merchant Accreditation.

Quingo Scooters

For those who don’t know, Feefo is an independent customer review system for businesses. Feefo specialises in generating reviews that both companies and customers can rely on.

All of our customers are able to give their feedback anonymously by rating their scooters and our services with one of four options; these are: excellent, good, poor or bad.

What this means for the Quingo customers and the Quingo team

Speaking about the award, Quingo’s Managing Director Mark Nicholl’s said: “Feefo specialise in providing feedback that’s comprehensive, genuine and recognised across the globe, so this accolade is a superb reflection of our services and dedication to our customers.

“Feefo’s gold rating is given to companies whose customers rate them above 95% in both service and satisfaction. Of over one hundred reviews, positive feedback about our services and product currently stands at 99% and 100% respectively.

“Our customers’ safety and mobility is paramount to us and we’re consistently delighted with the feedback we receive.”

Some examples of customer feedback

The criteria for accreditation is by no means easy to meet. Nevertheless, the award was given us as a result of the consistent positive feedback from Quingo scooter users received directly by Feefo.

Here are just a few examples of the anonymised customer feedback that we received:

Quingo Flyte user:

Service rating: “The service was excellent and very friendly I had two test drives before buying it and they were excellent showing me how it went into the car as I have to do all these things on my own and I am no spring chicken.”
Product: “After 20 years plus with electric wheelchairs that would not cope with uneven pavements etc that tipped you into the road the Flyte is brilliant… It has coped with icy pavements which the wheelchair could not manage… I would certainly recommend it.”

Quingo Plus user:

Service rating: “I find the Quingo to be safe and reassuring when I’m using it.”
Product: “Love my Quingo Plus, safe as houses both on the road and footpaths. wonderful and have recommended it to my friends who are having difficult with their Mobility.”

Quingo Vitess user

Service rating: “I have received nothing but super service since my first enquiry”

Product: “My Vitess is so much more comfortable than my previous scooters and the kerb climbing is fantastic. I’m so enjoying getting out and about! Well done Quingo!”

Find out more about Feefo

The Feefo Gold Trusted Merchant accreditation is only awarded to companies that consistently deliver great customer service. We’d like to thank you all for your tremendous feedback.

To find out more about what Quingo’s customers are saying about their scooters visit: http://www.feefo.com/GB/en/reviews/Quingo/?id=1013585