Skip to main content

High speed mobility

A group of automotive enthusiasts in the UK hope to set a new world land speed record, with a mobility scooter. Powered by a 600cc motorcycle engine the mobility scooter is now thought to be able to reach some 192km/h, around 15 times as fast as a conventional mobility scooter. Official timed runs have yet to be made for the record to be set. The rules call for two timed speed runs to be made within one hour with the record being an average of the two. However the group believe their mobility scooter will e
September 26, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A group of automotive enthusiasts in the UK hope to set a new world land speed record, with a mobility scooter. Powered by a 600cc motorcycle engine the mobility scooter is now thought to be able to reach some 192km/h, around 15 times as fast as a conventional mobility scooter. Official timed runs have yet to be made for the record to be set. The rules call for two timed speed runs to be made within one hour with the record being an average of the two. However the group believe their mobility scooter will easily be able to top the current mobility scooter speed record of 115km/h.

Meanwhile another man in the UK has fitted the starter motor from a Chinook helicopter to a shopping trolley. The starter motor has been modified to produce thrust and is estimated to deliver around 112kW. The first speed test at the Santa Pod drag strip has shown this unusual vehicle to be capable of reaching 70km/h, which makes it the world’s fastest shopping trolley. Its builder, a go-kart racer, believes it is powerful enough to reach 160km/h although he is unsure about its stability at this speed. Given the heat and noise the trolley generates, it is not likely to be welcome inside a supermarket however.

Related Content

  • New coastal highway route for Reunion
    July 15, 2016
    Work on a new €1.7 billion coastal road is underway around France’s Reunion Island This new 12.3km highway (Route du Littoral) will have three lanes in each direction when it is complete in 2018. The new offshore highway connects Saint Denis, the administrative capital of La Réunion, with La Possession.
  • Road markings important for road safety
    February 20, 2012
    Manufacturers are constantly upgrading marking materials and equipment. Now those responsible for highways are being asked to do more as Patrick Smith reports. A recent report claimed that nearly one-third of the length of Britain's single carriageway A-roads have white lines so worn out that they do not meet recognised standards. According to the LifeLines Report, an assessment of more than 2,400km of the road network, Britain's most dangerous roads have the most worn-out centre line markings of all, leavi
  • Innovative wheeled excavator from JCB
    April 13, 2016
    JCB has high hopes for its new Hydradig wheeled excavator, which is said to offer high versatility and stability, as well as visibility, mobility, manoeuvrability and serviceability. A key feature of the machine is the novel layout of its engine and fuel tank, mounted on the lower chassis member rather than on the rotating upperstructure. This helps provide a much better view from the newly-designed cab, aided by large glass panels, and allows the operator to see all four wheels. This radical design also lo
  • Quarry operators improve on productivity
    February 13, 2012
    With capital expenditure plans being reduced, many quarry operators are using the funds available to improve on productivity with their existing equipment fleets. Claire Symes reports. The economic downturn has had a big impact on the aggregates production sector with many quarry operators looking to reduce costs and rationalise operations. The impact of this can be seen in the reduction of capital expenditure plans but the investments that are being made are focused on efficiency.