UK and Italy Debut of ‘Next Generation’ Personal Mobility Device
WHILL Model C, a new state-of-the-art personal electric vehicle, is set to disrupt the UK and Italy wheelchair markets
Jun 11, 2024
San Carlos, CA, July 24, 2018 – WHILL has recently announced the launch of their award-winning Model C in the UK and Italy markets. This expansion will strengthen WHILL’s mission to empower people to experience movement in a new, exhilarating way, and to change the culture and mindset of personal mobility around the world.
WHILL Co-Founder and CEO, Satoshi Sugie, said: “At the very heart of our design is the desire to create a product which eliminates the adverse psychological impact that affects people who use mobility devices. We have drawn on our design and engineering backgrounds to create the WHILL Model C, a next generation personal electric vehicle which not only provides freedom of mobility, but freedom from the self-consciousness often associated with a wheelchair or scooter.
“We’re excited to bring the product to the UK and Italy markets following success in Japan. It’s our intention to redefine the concept of personal mobility for people who use a wheelchair because of a disability or reduced mobility. We have created the WHILL Model C for those who are active, social and crave adventure.”
The WHILL Model C made its debut in Japan in April 2017, and the WHILL Model Ci, the non-medical version of the Model C, began sales in the US in January 2018 then in Canada in April of the same year.
WHILL plans to start accelerating European deployment in UK and Italy, and then expand to other European countries.
WHILL has been recognized for its innovation with a series of awards including the CES 2018 ‘Best of Innovation’ Award in Accessibility Tech and was an Engadget ‘Best of CES 2018’ Finalist. It was also crowned winner of world-renowned design prize, “Best of the Best” Red Dot Award 2018 in the Healthcare category and 2018 iF Design Award.
About WHILL
Since its founding in 2012, WHILL’s mission is to transform today’s antiquated power wheelchair and scooter experiences into a new kind of empowering device, an intelligent personal electric vehicle (EV). WHILL is reinventing the personal mobility industry with an Intelligent Personal EV that focuses on an approachable and aesthetically pleasing powered vehicle that boosts confidence and pushes the boundaries of personal transportation. Headquartered in Tokyo with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Taiwan, WHILL is focused on enabling everyone to explore the world in comfort and style.
The WHILL Model Ci is only available in the United States and Canada and is not to be considered a medical device and has not been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for review or clearance. The WHILL Model C wheelchair is currently sold only in Japan and EU.
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