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The best electric scooters in 2022
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The best electric scooters in 2022
While the scooter rental business has cooled off, electric scooters are here to stay. Increasingly popular as personal transportation, these micromobility machines with electric motors and straightforward controls are a great solution for last-mile transportation (getting home from the train or bus, for instance). They’re nimble enough to transport you quickly, and you won’t break a sweat while riding to work. And since they’re much smaller and lighter than most bikes, they’re easy to carry up stairs, stow under a desk, or hide away in a closet.To get more news about electric bike, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.
We checked out 7 popular models — and spent some time riding a Lime rental scooter — determining their range and speed, their overall feel and ease-of-use over a variety of terrains and surfaces, and getting a sense of how we could integrate them into our daily routine. After all that, we found a couple of great scooters that can improve your commute, no matter what your budget.
Striking a better balance between power, range, and compact size than any other scooter we tested, the Segway Ninebot Max was our favorite electric scooter overall. Riding the Segway Ninebot Max is about as easy as it gets, and we were ready to hit the streets after about a minute of experimenting. The thumb throttle is responsive but not too jerky, and the mechanical handbrake allows for confident, gradual control of your speed, as well as more sudden stops if needed. The display — a vertical screen in the center of the handlebars — clearly shows the current speed, speed setting, and battery level. A single button is used to power on the unit, toggle through the three speed settings, and activate the LED headlight. It’s as easy as they come.The 350W of power supplied by the motor allowed me to easily hit speeds of up to 20 MPH on the flats, and really impressed me with how well it handled the incline portions of my testing route. Unlike similar scooters that struggled with hills, the Segway Ninebot Max seemed to relish the challenge, and was able to maintain a solid 14 MPH on the steepest grade we climbed during testing, second only to the much larger Apollo City Pro. Thanks to the impressive battery capacity, this scooter also seemed to have a never-ending range, making it 21.4 miles before finally depleting its battery. The overall ride itself was smooth and comfortable too, and the 10-inch tires (it ships with traditional tires that use inner tubes) handled small bumps and cracks without too much discomfort to the rider. Some of the competition ships with solid rubber tires which aren’t really suited to riding any distance.
The Segway mobile app was reliable in our testing, while the apps from other brands felt like they were still working the bugs out. The app provides a battery percentage level — very convenient when charging — and provides a map of your entire route, using shades of light green to dark red to indicate your speed in different areas. Plus, you can lock the scooter with the touch of a button. (This “lock” simply prevents it from accelerating and sounds a constant beep if anyone tries to push it away. Not exactly 100% effective but could definitely discourage a would-be thief walking by).
Just like the other Segway Ninebot scooters in our testing, the Ninebot Max had impressive build quality and intentional, well-thought-out overall design. It’s clear that Segway has been doing this a long time, unlike other scooter brands that felt like they were still working out design and functionality issues.
The only real drawback to the Segway Ninebot Max (aside from the price, and assuming it is within your budget) is its weight. At 41.2 pounds it’s not the easiest to carry around, but it’s important to remember that this extra battery weight is what allows for its long range, and that’s always going to be a trade-off. If you want a comfortable ride and don’t want to constantly worry about your battery level, this could be the perfect option.
The scaled-down sibling of the Segway Ninebot Max, the Segway Ninebot F30 features the same high-quality construction and straightforward controls of our top pick — though with a bit less power and range — at a much lower price. Plus, you still get all the perks that come with the Segway mobile app, like route maps, Bluetooth locking capability, and real-time battery level percentage.The biggest difference between the F30 and the Max, other than the much lower price, is its range. I was only able to hit 9.3 miles on the Segway Ninebot F30 before the battery died, which is on the lower end of my testing pool. This limited battery range does allow the F30 to weigh about 8 pounds less than the Max, and at 33 pounds total, is relatively easy to carry around after folding. The smaller battery pack also makes the F30 sleeker and more compact, without the extra bulk of longer-range scooters — so if you don’t have a lengthy commute or really need to cover more distance, it may be worth stepping down to the F30.
Despite the limited range, the F30 was still able to generate speeds of up to 16 MPH, although it struggled a bit on my hill test, topping out at 11 MPH. The controls are essentially the same as the Max, with a thumb accelerator throttle and mechanical hand brake, although the F30 uses a traditional bicycle bell which does add a little clutter to the handlebar area. The 10-inch pneumatic tires provide a much smoother ride than the solid tires of the similarly priced Unagi Model One or Swagger 5 Boost. Charging was a breeze as well, and it only took 4 hours to bring the battery level from 0 to 100 percent. Thanks to the 2.5W LED headlight and brake lights, you won’t feel like you’re compromising on safety features either.