It’s a smart car. It’s a clown car. No, it’s an electric scooter.
Guelphites may have seen Ned Coates sporting around in a yellow scooter with TESLA insignia on it. He rides on trails and bike lanes in the city. He’s hard to miss.
Folks also could have seen Coates riding his scooter in the Guelph Community Santa Parade last November.
This one-seater vehicle has two doors, four tires, sunroof, windshield wiper and is made out of fibreglass. It’s not a TESLA despite the logos on it. Coates doesn’t know the brand name or manufacturer but thinks it’s from China.
Coates tows his kayak on the back of the scooter and launches it where the Eramosa and Speed River meets.
His’ girlfriend who lives in Toronto took a picture of one of the "enclosed mobility scooters" at a store and sent it to him.
After seeing the photo he went to Toronto and bought the scooter for $9,500.
There were two of the scooters available at the shop, a yellow and a grey one. The grey scooter was purchased by a woman from Huntsville.
“Statistically, it seems quite improbable that you’d think someone in Toronto would have bought one. But no instead Guelph and Huntsville,” said Coates.
“I’m the first,” he said. He hasn’t seen anyone else in Guelph riding around in an electric vehicle like his.
He said there are very few in Canada. Look at Brazil, India or China there are millions of these, he said. Since Canada isn’t as densely populated this is why we haven’t adopted the technology yet, Coates said.
We’re enamoured with car culture, he said.
Coates has an electric bike so this electric mobility scooter would be an addition to what he calls his electric fleet.
He is retired, a widower and an empty nester. He doesn’t understand why SUVs are popular when families are smaller than they were in the 1950s.
“I don’t really need to fight traffic. What do I need a big vehicle for?,” Coates said. "I love it when you guys complain about gas prices."
Coates said he's been a green guy, even before green was a term.
The scooter can be plugged into the wall, but one of the drawbacks is it takes four to five hours for a full charge, he said.
A full charge lasts up to 50 km. It depends on the hills and weather for how long a charge will last. It doesn’t last as long in cold damp weather.
On flat pavement the scooter drives at 42 km/h. It’s a bumpy ride, but Coates said he will try to make it smoother by beefing up the suspension.
The bright yellow colour helps him feel safe. There are lights on it so it can be driven at night.
The scooter doesn’t have to be licensed, registered or insured, Coates said.
He hopes scooters like his take off in Guelph and is thinking about buying a load of the scooters and starting a rental business.
The electric mobility scooters could lend well to the aging population, Coates said. Since there is no need for a license and are easy to drive, the scooters could work well for seniors.
There is a divide on what genders are interested in the scooter. Women smile at Coates as he drives by. Men say things like “I can run you over with my pickup truck,” said Coates.
On the other hand, while he was pulling out of a parking lot he saw a man in a Mini Cooper and Coates yelled out to him “Mine’s smaller than yours,” and as he peeled away the man was laughing.
