GLM Co., Ltd., a Kyoto-based company that develops and sells electric vehicles (EVs), has released an EV mobility concept for senior drivers.

As populations grow older, the occurrence of terrible car accidents caused by elderly drivers has become a social problem in many countries. A variety of measures are being taken around the world to address the issue of senior drivers, such as encouraging voluntary return of driver’s licenses and the introduction of laws and regulations restricting driving hours and locations. As this trend takes hold and more seniors lose their means of private transportation, it is important to support them so that they can continue to enjoy an active, independent, and outgoing lifestyle.

To address this social challenge, GLM set out to develop a compact electric mobility scooter (EMS) for seniors, based on the concept of “inspiration to switch from a car to an EMS.” It has now released a concept model of the scooter.

In its concept development, GLM focused strongly on design because it is one of the major obstacles people face in switching from a passenger car to an EMS for seniors. With a steadily growing number of active, youthful seniors in the community, there is growing demand for more fashionable and attractive EMSs. Thus, one of the company’s key design goals was to stimulate the desire to ride a mobility scooter.

GLM is continuing to develop this concept vehicle with a view to commercialization by the end of 2022, after further improvements to the aesthetic design and mechanical system.

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-A design that inspires seniors to ride an EMS

“I wanted to enjoy the convenience of an EMS for my transport, but it was quite hard to acquire one.” GLM believes that one of the reasons why so many people feel like this relates to the poor design of most EMSs for seniors. This is why the company paid a lot of attention to design. By and large, EMSs for seniors tend to look like they were designed for old people, making them unattractive to the many seniors who still feel youthful.

GLM’s design concept is very simple. Rather than feeling that they have no choice but to buy a typical-looking EMS for seniors just for the functionality, the company wants to offer a new kind of EMS that makes people feel, “Hey, I would love to ride that!”

Conventional mobility scooters for seniors look like they were designed just by attaching handles, tires and seats onto a frame, along with cowls and various other parts. In contrast, in the design of cars, beauty is sculpted from a solid mass. As a car maker, GLM strives to create beautiful EMSs by pouring all of its car design expertise into a new mobility platform.

GLM’s approach to this design proposal was to start development from a single 3D shape. One of the gentlest of shapes, the “sphere,” expresses kindness to elderly riders of the vehicle, as well as kindness to pedestrians sharing the sidewalk. It is a shape that is comforting and approachable.

It is not difficult to imagine that as society continues aging in the coming years, it will see more and more stylish and sophisticated, youthful, and active seniors who do not fit the stereotypical image of older generations up to now. The new mobility design that GLM is creating aims to change preconceived notions and ideas about EMSs and to inspire this new breed of seniors to accept and use its products. With this focus, the company will continue its development work to make EMSs that people genuinely want to ride.

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-GLM company outline

Name: GLM Co., Ltd.

Established: April 1, 2010

Rep.: Julian Alexander Carr, CEO

Business: Automobile manufacture

Head office: 74-3 Takeda Mukaishiro-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture