Chances are by now you have seen an increase in road users with electric scooters, especially if you happen to live in a larger city. As these people zoom pas you, have you ever wondered how fast are electric scooters? If you were to get one for yourself, what kind of speeds can they reach? There are actually so many makes and models of electric scooters on the market, but you can pretty much categorize them according to the speeds they can reach, so let’s look at some examples of how fast these gadgets really are.
1. Last-Mile Commuter Scooter
This is a typically a low speed electric scooter, very often capped at just above 15mph, but this makes it really suitable for busy roads and pavements in city centers. Even if you get a scooter that can reach speeds much higher than 15mph, if your primary use is for commuting to work, you won’t really find yourself using it at higher speeds than 15mph. This could prove to be very dangerous with all the cars and people around you, so it really is best to keep the speed low and be vigilant.
GXL Commuter Scooter
The GXL Commuter Scooter was made for people who need a solution for their last mile problem. Namely, Gotrax made this scooter while keeping in mind the needs of your typical city commuter. The scooter is lightweight at just 26.4lbs (approx. just under 12kg) and it has an incredibly convenient folding mechanism, which makes it easy to carry with you anywhere if your commute is longer than it’s supported range of 9 to 12 miles per charge. This also means easy and convenient storage at home and work. This model sports 8.5″ air-filled tires for a more comfortable riding experience on potentially rough and uneven city roads and sidewalks.
If you decided to go for a commuter scooter like this one, your top speed would be capped at 15.5mph. This is really more than adequate for a busy city road or sidewalk, and you wouldn’t want to be going much faster if you are only using the scooter for the simple purposes of getting yourself to and from work every day. Gotrax’s GXL Commuter Scooter really delivers on this front, and all that for the modest price of $248 (approx. £197).
2. Mid-Speed Scooter
Electric scooters in this range can typically deliver speeds higher than 15mph. You might use a scooter of this quality for the purposes of either commuting to work, or for leisurely days out – on a nice long cycle track, or by the beach where it’s peaceful and away from traffic. It is not advisable to use these scooters at their maximum speed capacity, particularly in and around busy city roads where you have to watch pedestrians as well as vehicles, but the majority of models actually come with some sort of feature that allows you to cap the top speed (Eco Mode), which also at the same time saves the battery and extends the range of the scooter.
Ninebot KickScooter by Segway ES4
This awesome electric scooter comes with a slightly higher than usual price tag of $799.99 (approx. £640), but it comes with some extremely unique features that will make you want to ride this brilliant model. The scooter has a simplistic and yet striking design, while at the same time it can reach a top speed of 19mph. In addition, as an absolute star feature of this model, the Ninebot Segway ES4 has an external battery, which when in use boosts the scooter’s range to an impressive 28 miles. This would enable you to use the scooter for long commutes to work, as well as long leisurely rides wherever you want, as this is a really impressive range that comes with an exceptional overall quality.
While the top speed of 19mph might look like quite low on paper, when you are actually riding the scooter, the difference between 15mph and 19mph will certainly take your breath away. At almost 20mph it might be a little too fast to use at full speed around busy roads, but I have tested it in a long cycle lane that stretches for miles and miles by the sea and it was such an amazing experience that left a smile on my face for the rest of the day. If you decide to go for Ninebot KickScooter by Segway ES4 you won’t be disappointed with its speed, range and features, in fact you will be over the moon with your purchase of this high quality electric scooter.
3. High-Speed Extreme Scooters
When considering a mighty scooter that can reach speeds of up to 50mph, you need to keep in mind that your safety is paramount on a powerful electric scooter like that. I would go as far as to say that I would not use them at their full speed capacity, as I believe that would only be suitable for more experienced riders. You will of course, require an adequate helmet and potentially even protective body armour of some kind, as you don’t want to seriously injure yourself going at these high speeds without personal protection.
Scooters that can reach these speeds are also suitable for daily commuting to work, but because they have such high ranges and speeds, they also have larger batteries and more powerful motors. This in return will make the scooter a lot heavier than your standard commuter scooter, which would not be suitable to drag around with you on public transport, and I wouldn’t expect it to be easy to carry around even once folded. When riding in a city, I would definitely recommend not using it at these high speeds, and being extra careful around pedestrians and traffic.
Wolf Warrior 11+
This amazing scooter is one of the fastest on the market. It can reach an impressive speed of 50mph, and with a price tag of $2,599 (approx. £2,070), you would expect nothing less. Now, as previously mentioned, you really do need to be well protected when using this scooter as you want to make sure that if anything goes wrong you are safe. Even if you are not going to use Wolf Warrior 11+ at it’s full speed potential, it is very exciting to know that it can perform at those impressive speeds and as you get better and more comfortable using it, you could increase the speed as well.
The scooter also has a straightforward folding mechanism, which does make it convenient to store away and transport in your car. However, the net weight of 101 lbs (45kg) means that it really isn’t as easy to pick up as your typical commuter scooter that weighs just above 10kg. The Wolf Warrior 11+ also has an impressive maximum range of 90 miles! This is absolutely mind-blowing as it means that you could have so many days out on it without the need to constantly charge it. Plus if you were to take it with you on a weekend getaway, you can rest assured it will cover all your mini-holiday adventure plans.
4. Need Vs. Speed
Ultimately, you should primarily concentrate on need and what you will be using the scooter for, as opposed to just speed, unless of course you’re an adrenaline junkie. However, it is useful to bear in mind, that if you are just commuting it’s not necessary to get a really speedy scooter, as they also tend to have a higher price tag the faster they can go. In that case, you would do much better to concentrate on range performance. But if you really want to have good times and fun days out on a really speedy electric scooter, then you should concentrate at comparing those amazing models that will deliver just what you need them to.
What do you look for in your electric scooter? Please feel free to share any comments, feedback and questions on this topic.