What electric scooter should I buy? What to look out for when buying an electric scooter?
If you have decided to buy an electric scooter for yourself then you have to take into account lots of factors and really have a very clear understanding what electric scooter you actually need.
Lots of people don’t really do their homework before buying an electric scooter and therefore make the wrong decision. What is the purpose of having a fancy and cool scooter if it doesn’t work properly or doesn’t fit your needs.
The scooter you buy should serve a specific purpose, be in the right price range and have high performance and ride quality. In this short blog post I will answer the question, “what electric scooter should I buy?” and make the decision process a bit easier for you.
So What Electric Scooter Should I buy Then?
Do you need an urban commuting scooter?
The first step in determining what electric scooter you should buy, is figuring out what are you planning to use the scooter for? Most individuals use an electric scooter for commuting in an urban environment.
The distances that are covered in these daily commutes are not very long and therefore the range, speed and overall power are not so crucial. This is why the Xiaomi M365 with a max range of 18.5 miles and a top speed of 15 mph, is the most popular electric scooter in the world. You can buy electric scooters with a lot more range, power, speed and overall performance but in an urban environment it is not really necessary.
If you want an urban commuting electric scooter then another crucial factor is portability. The weight of the scooter is very important. The lighter a scooter is the easier it is to carry. Even a 5-10 pound difference in weight can be a important deciding factor.
Another important factor is how well the scooter folds together. Some scooters have really poor folding mechanism that don’t last. If you need an electric scooter that you can fold together, carry it along with you and store it in public transport for example, then the compactness is another crucial factor.
For example the Glion Dolly 225 electric scooter doesn’t have great stats in terms of speed, range or even ride quality but it is ideal for those who need a lightweight, fast folding, compact and easily transportable scooter.
Are you looking for a high performing electric scooter?
Some people buy an electric scooter for the thrill and fun of it. Scooters, such as the Xiaomi M365 are very practical for urban commuters but they are not much fun and don’t provide much thrills.
You can buy very powerful electric scooters that have enormous amount of power, acceleration, top speed and range. Some scooters can achieve absolutely ridiculous top speeds.
For example the RION 2 RE90 scooter can reach a top speed of up to 100 mph and the Dualtron X can achieve speeds pf up to 55 mph. These speeds are insane and even 30-30 mph is extremely fast. The Dualtron X also has a range of up to 93 miles, according to the manufacturer, with a stunning 6,720 Watts motor. The Xiaomi M365 is comparison only has a 250 Watt motor. The price tag for the Dualtron X is almost $6000 as well.
Of course you can have high performing electric scooters for much less money. For example the Apollo Pro has a top speed of 38 mph and a range of 56 miles with a price tag of $1,899.00!
Do you want the electric scooter to have a seat?
People who ask, “what electric scooter should I buy” should also consider whether they want to have a seated or standing electric scooter. Standing for long periods of time is not suitable for some people and therefore a seated option would be better. Some electric scooters also have both options.
For example the Nanrobot D4 scooter has an easily attachable and detachable seat for convenience. For some people this is a very important feature.
The maximum weight an electric scooter can carry
It is far more difficult for heavier adults to find a suitable scooter. Most commuting scooters have a weight limit of 100 kg or so. If you weigh more then you need to find a scooter that can handle your weight. For example the Nanrobot D4 has a maximum carrying capacity of 150 kg or 330 pounds, along with the attachable seat.
Of course the more you weigh the slower the top speed, acceleration and range will be. This means you might want to buy a scooter with more power and better battery.
How much are you willing to spend?
The budget you have available for buying your electric scooter is also extremely important. The money you are willing to spend the more choices you have available. If your budget is limited then you need to make compromises.
If you are looking for a lightweight urban commuting scooter that has a better top speed, range, carrying capacity and water resistance than the popular Xiaomi M365, then you spend about $300 more for the EMOVE Touring.
If your budget is only $400 then you can’t expect to get a high quality product with lots of performance. You can get a decent electric scooter for $400, such as the GOTRAX XR Ultra but it wil come with some flaws and poorer performance.
Conclusion
What electric scooter should I buy then? I would suggest to think through exactly what your expectations are for your electric scooter and how much you are willing to spend. Then it is much easier to search for the perfect scooter for yourself.
Maybe you want long range electric scooter for commuting under $500. Or maybe you want the most powerful and fastest scooter under $1000.
If you are planning to buy your first scooter then it is better to buy something more budget friendly and reliable rather than a fancy high performing scooter that you really don’t need.
Then again you don’t want to buy the lowest priced electric scooter as well because it will have lots of problems and issues to deal with. In my opinion the price range for a very decent all around scooter is between $500 and $1000. For this money you should certainly get a scooter that checks all the boxes.
