Pilot Scoozy with Foundation Elderly Welfare (EN)

It should become the alternative to the scooter: the Scoozy. The electric means of transport not only looks sleek and cool, but is also much safer than the ‘traditional’ scooter, says entrepreneur Job van de Kieft about his creation.

In the workshop of his company in Delft, he is working hard on the prototype, which was partly created with the support of Rotterdam Mobility Lab, an initiative of the Traffic Company to give starting entrepreneurs who want to do something with traffic and transport a boost. .

Many people now don’t take a scooter because of the stigma attached to it, says Van de Kieft. “The existing models often have the label: disabled and helpless. Some people would rather stay at home than be seen on such a thing.”

Unsafe
Another drawback of the existing models is that, according to Van de Kieft, they are very unsafe. He points out that in 2015 alone, 41 people were killed in accidents involving a scooter.

The fact that things go wrong so often is not only due to the age of the users, says the entrepreneur. There are a number of important flaws in the design of the vehicles, he discovered. ,,For example, when you squeeze, you accelerate instead of braking, as with a bicycle. But the first thing people do when startled is squeeze. In addition, they are very unstable. You fall over if you drive down a curb. The lighting is also poor, so they are not clearly visible.”

Sensors

The Scoozy is much safer, says Van de Kieft. For example, it has bright LED lighting. It is also much more stable. The suspension is made in such a way that you can drive up or down the pavement more safely. Sensors are also built in to ensure that the Scoozy gradually slows down when they detect objects.”

But attention has also been paid to the appearance and appearance of the Scoozy. “We have removed the steering column and made a much more open design to increase the interaction with pedestrians. We also wanted to make it a fun vehicle.”

For enthusiasts, there will therefore also be a model with four-wheel drive. ,,So that you can also go into the woods and the beach with it.” The prototype will be ready at the end of this month.

Well-being foundation for the elderly
The first four Scoozys have been sold and there are forty test requests. Members of Stichting Welzijn Ouderen Spijkenisse tested the first prototype. Based on their feedback, a few adjustments have been made and now Scoozy is ready to hit the road.