What is an Other Power Driven Mobility Device? Do Electric Tricycles and EBikes Fall Under This?

Hey everyone. I'm Dustin. I'm nearly 20 years of experience in the bike and e-bike industry. And today we're going to answer the question, what is another power-driven mobility device? Stick around.

All right, so today we're going to answer the question, what is another power-driven mobility device? But before I get into it, hit the subscribe button below, and stay in touch with us here at Sixthreezero. Be the first to know about all the new content we're putting out, giveaways we do, and of course, new product releases. Okay, so you are seeing all sorts of electric transportation on the roads now, personal mobility devices including E-bikes, four wheels, four-wheel devices that could be golf carts or even modifications of golf carts, e-bikes, and lots of different ways of getting around now, and the electric capabilities are expanding the possibility for personal mobility. Years ago, people with mobility issues or disabilities were fairly limited in the types of devices that they could utilize to help them get around. This was just basically because fewer companies were producing these mobility devices to help people with mobility issues and disabilities, and to help them get around.

As things have evolved, more engineers, more designers, and more opportunities to fill the needs of people with mobility issues. And I think with an aging population as well, baby boomers getting into their sixties, seventies, and eighties, there's more opportunity to fill the needs of those that are starting to lose some mobility and to design and develop products that are more suited for these users' needs. Also, it's great because if you have a mobility issue or a disability, you have a bigger selection of products that you can use that you think are best for your lifestyle and your body. Now, on the ADA website, so the American Disabilities Act, on the ADA, on the government website, in the ADA section, they've created a whole section about other power-driven mobility devices. Now, this can include the electric tricycles I have behind me, which will be linked in the description if you want to navigate over to Sixthreezero and check them out.

So other powered power-driven mobility devices encapsulate anything that somebody with a mobility issue or a disability is using to help them get around, go into stores, or do anything in their everyday life. So the ADA website, you can navigate over there. If you just Google ADA, or other power-driven mobility devices, you can go to their website and read all the fine print and details in there. But it states that if you have a mobility issue, it is your choice to ride any other power-driven mode ability device that best suits you into any store that you see fit. Now, private institutions have the ability to prohibit you if it's dangerous. Now that's the one caveat and a lot of this, there could be a lot of gray area in there, and we've received some questions about Disneyland and Disney World and what their policy is.

I can't speak to that. All I can speak to is the published American Disabilities Act policy, which states that "Any establishment has to let you in with any other power-driven mobility device, so long as you can drive into that store or business in a safe manner." There are areas and restrictions that private businesses can put on you with your mobility device if they feel like you can't navigate into a certain space safely, or there are certain areas that you can't safely go with your other power-driven mobility device. I know places like Disney World and Disneyland provide their electric scooters that they see fit. I don't know how the process works to get your mobility device approved by them. I have seen personal other power-driven mobility devices in Disney World and Disneyland, but again, I'm not privy to the process of getting approval on yours, because I think for them you would need that in advance.

But stores like Lowe's, Target, grocery stores, and things like that, if you have a mobility issue and you choose to ride an electric tricycle or any other device, they would have to allow you to do that. Now again, they can restrict you in certain areas, but they generally have to allow you into the store. Now, the one caveat that they put in there is you have to have a mobility issue. Now, this can also be a gray area to some extent. I don't know how you prove that or not prove that, and it's probably against the law to even ask you if you have a mobility issue, but I think the hope is that nobody would truly abuse this. And for those of you out there that do have some sense of a mobility issue or disability, you're going to be using your device in these businesses in a responsible manner.

So basically another power-driven mobility device is anything other than a wheelchair or a scooter that helps you get around and is necessary for you to move through businesses, go shopping, and do things like that. And the reason we bring it up here at Sixthreezero is we have electric tricycles. Now, our rickshaw here may be a little too big to bring into a store. However, if you maybe have a loved one that has a disability, they can't power themselves and to get them into the store, you need to put them on the back of it. By all means, it appears that the ADA would cover that and allow for that. Now, because of how large it is, they could put restrictions on what aisles you can go into. That's another thing. It said, particularly grocery stores have very narrow aisles. So I can't imagine it'd be very easy and safe to take the rickshaw down those aisles.

But things like Lowe's and Home Depot have a little bit wider aisles. It'd be a lot easier to navigate. But if it's you riding solely, the reason I bring this up is because now electric tricycles are an option. Those are going to be covered under other power-driven mobility devices like these two tricycles in particular. In particular, this folding e-trike, which is smaller than many of the electric scooters that people have been using for years to go shopping, to move throughout stores, to do things like that, you could fold this up and put it in your car too. When you talk about transportation, it can be easier to fold up and put on a rack. It's going to be lighter than a lot of the electronic scooters out there too. I can't tell you exactly, but I know a lot of those electric scooters are very heavy.

Target has the ones they offer their shoppers. It's definitely going to be 15%, 20% heavier than our folding e-trike. So the benefit of this is that if you have a mobility issue and you still want to keep your legs moving and ride somewhere and be out getting exercise, and you don't want to spend money on both an electric scooter, an electric tricycle, now you have that option to buy your folding electric tricycle and have that be the mobility device that you go into stores with, that you go into parks, businesses, anywhere you're shopping and living your life. If you ride it to the store, take it into the store, or ride with you, make sure to just use it responsibly. So I think that's a huge benefit. It's also a benefit in the sense that if you still want to continue to move your legs and keep the blood flowing and try to get some level of exercise, if you are still able to do that, it's great because you don't just have to be in a scooter sitting there.

If you want to move your legs be, like I said, getting exercise, buy an electric tricycle, and still get that exercise. In addition to that, if you don't want to use your legs at any given time, you can use the throttle up top as well. So these can function both, with pedal assist or just like a regular tricycle with no electric assistance, or use the throttle as you see fit, totally up to you. And on our electric trike, we have a reverse option as well. So if you were to bring that into a store, it's going to help you navigate, turn corners, and back up if you get stuck in a corner. All the same features you'd find on an electric scooter, just now you're turning it into an electric tricycle with pedals, expanding the horizons for you so much more. So it's a really cool law, a really cool portion of the ADA that's been in place.

It expands the possibilities for those with mobility issues and aging seniors who maybe have lost their ability to move like they once did, and they need some assistance, like I said, shopping, getting out, and things like that. So other power-driven mobility devices. Again, look it up on the ADA website, pretty much covers anything that would help you move about through a store legally, you're going to have to be able to use that. Also, it applies to national parks as well. Look up the law to get the specifics on that. There are some requirements around not damaging the terrain and things like that, but for the most part, you're going to be covered if you have a mobility issue. So if you have any other questions, please comment below or reach out to us, at theteam@sixthreezero.com or call us at (310) 982-2877.

If you're in the market for an electric tricycle or another power-driven mobility device, you can also take the proprietary body fit quiz on our website. We'll recommend the perfect bike, e-bike, or electric trike for you if you decide that that's something you want to use for your other power-driven mobility device. In addition to that, we have a 30-day test ride, your bike, e-bike, e trike policy. If you don't love it in 30 days, send it back, no questions asked, no money out of your pocket.

Lastly, we have a huge community of existing riders. You can join our Facebook pedalers group or download our app to talk to these existing riders before you purchase, ask questions, and see how they love their bikes. Then once you have your bikes, post photos, make new friends, and track your rides on the app. In addition to that, we have a community of riders that have bought one of our folding trikes for this very reason for it to be their other power-driven mobility device. So you can post questions and see where they take their e-bike or their e-trike to see how they're using it so you can get comfortable using it for the same things. So thank you for sticking around and don't forget, it's your journey, your experience. Enjoy the ride.