My Electric Wheelchairs
Meyra Optimus 2
In 2006, I had the opportunity to purchase a new electric wheelchair through the Pegaz2003 program from the State Fund for People with Disabilities.
Being impressed by the quality and reliability of my first wheelchair, I decided on the Meyra Optimus 2 Model 2.322, which in a way was the successor to my well-worn Meyra Genius wheelchair.
The driving parameters of the new model were impressive: a max speed of 15 km/h, and a range of up to 100 km. Unfortunately, this high speed and range were not part of the standard equipment, meaning they were additional costs. The amount I received from the PFRON along with my own contribution was not enough for both options. I opted for the 15 km/h speed and a reduced range with weaker batteries (65 Ah). This decision soon caused me major problems. The batteries completely wore out after less than two years, and the reason was that the motor was too powerful for the weak batteries. I described these issues in detail on the Batteries in the Meyra Optimus 2 Electric Wheelchair page.
After 17 years of using the Meyra Optimus 2 electric wheelchair and traveling more than 21,000 km, I can confidently say that purchasing it was a great decision. The most important thing is that during all these years, the wheelchair has never broken down in a way that would require additional transport to get me home. I've never had any failure, even with very intensive use in terrains such as forests with muddy paths and steep hills.
However, I understand that nothing lasts forever. One day, as I was about to go for another ride, I noticed that I was missing the main bolt holding the front wheel. It had simply broken, with part of it still stuck in the thread. I don't know how many meters I had covered with the wheelchair in this condition, and I don't even want to think about what could have happened if the wheel had come off while riding at 15 km/h.
The age of the wheelchair and the number of kilometers traveled make me increasingly consider getting a new vehicle with similar parameters. Unfortunately, the range of all-terrain electric wheelchairs is very limited. Although several companies offer room-to-outdoor models, from their appearance and driving parameters, it's clear they fall far short of the capabilities of the Optimus 2. For now (August 2024), I plan to keep using my Optimus for at least a few more years. I hope that an Optimus 3 will be developed soon or that another company will produce a wheelchair as reliable and with similar features to the Optimus 2.
Meyra Genius
My first electric wheelchair was the Meyra Genius, which was almost entirely funded by my last employer, the Legnica Copper Plant. I became the proud owner of this wheelchair in 2002. I used it for 5 years without any breakdowns. I did "get a flat tire" three times, mostly due to the wear and tear of the tires. I was very satisfied with this wheelchair, especially with the fact that despite heavy use, the batteries only degraded by about 10 percent each year.
