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I welcome dear visitors of fotosklad.ru! In 2022, Russia was covered by another “boom” in sales of electric scooters. Retail chains and online platforms reported at least a twofold increase in demand. There are many articles on the Internet on how to choose such a means of individual mobility, but often the materials contain outdated or of little use in practice information. I tried to make a selection of the most useful tips based on personal experience, which includes almost ten devices, as well as the knowledge of many of my fellow fans of this type of transport.
Without further ado — get to work! And before you figure out how to choose an electric scooter, you need to decide what types of equipment are found here.
Source: scootertalk.orgWhat is an “electric scooter for the city”
I prefer one very simple criterion by which I divide electric scooters. Namely — you are going to operate this vehicle on the sidewalk or on public roads. Let me explain.
Road Models
meet the following basic criteria.
1. The maximum real speed is at least 35 km / h, otherwise you will not be able to feel confident in the traffic flow even against the background of public transport.
Of course, in fact, powerful “road” electric scooters very often ride on sidewalks, where they do not belong at all. Say what you like, but such a technique provokes fast driving and excessive arrogance in maneuvers and speed selection (like flying at 40 km / h almost close to pedestrians) Source: zen.yandex.ru.2. The presence of a full suspension of both the front and rear wheels. Otherwise, the first pothole on the pavement will send you to the emergency room. Or even worse.
Source: halten.ru.3. The presence of a rider who has a driver’s license, which allows him to take the road without fear. But the most important thing is the availability of full-fledged protective equipment. The minimum program is a fullface helmet, “turtle” and motorcycle gloves. A set that can easily cost 30–40 thousand rubles, that is, a third of the price of the Ultron X2 electric scooter itself.
Source: cdn.bfm.ru.The choice of such a device is a topic for a separate article. Just look around — how many electric scooters do you see on public roads? According to my observations and communication with representatives of various stores, the share of such “rockets” in sales barely exceeds 20%. I would like to focus on the class that the remaining 80% of buyers choose, namely …
Pavement models. In a broad sense, for me, an urban electric scooter is exactly the model with which you are not going to travel on public roads. This means that you do not need excess power, the weight of the device is under 30 kg and more, and so on.
Source: ninebot.ruThere is one simple characteristic feature here, the power is up to 350 watts. In this case, we get the optimal maximum speed from 25 to 30 km / h, depending on the settings of a particular manufacturer. In fact, you can usually squeeze out more, but in this case you will get an accelerated discharge of the battery and a very indecent mileage against the background of “classmates”.
Max speed
As I mentioned above, for urban electric scooters there is no question of choosing models depending on speed — in any case, this will not exceed 35 km / h, and more often — 30 km / h. I’ll make a reservation right away that the “maximum speed” indicated by the manufacturer is very often designed for people weighing 50–60 kg. That is, with a weight of 90 kg, instead of the expected, conditionally, 30 km / h, you will most likely get 25–27 km / h.
An interesting point is that in the European Union, the legislation on electric scooters, although it differs depending on the country, often has common features. In particular, the fact that even on a relatively low-power machine you will not be allowed on the sidewalk.
Source: qredible.co.ukAs a rule, the maximum speed is limited to 20–25 km / h, and movement is often allowed only on cycle paths and public roads. Or like in Italy — you can move in the pedestrian zone, but you probably don’t want to do this because of the limit of … 6 km / h!
Below are the three main speed ranges on the sidewalk, to better understand why super-powerful speed machines are practically useless here.
- up to 12 km/h. With such a maximum speed, I move on an electric scooter with a child. Of course, with acceleration up to ~ 20 km / h, provided that there is a straight section without pedestrians and with a guaranteed and predictably smooth sidewalk. In other cases, for safe maneuvering, braking and avoiding pedestrians, on average, exactly 12 km / h is obtained.
- 15–20 km/h. It is no secret that many Russian cities have already introduced speed limits of up to 15 km/h for rental electric scooters. Sometimes this applies to individual zones (as in St. Petersburg), sometimes the limit applies to the entire territory (as in Sochi). According to my personal observations, and according to the reviews of other riders, subject to the presence of pedestrians on the sidewalk, as well as frequent intersections with exits from yards, with all the desire, the average speed does not exceed 20 km / h.
- From 20 km/h. If there are no pedestrians ahead, it’s time to speed up! However, several factors can interfere with this. Firstly, the aforementioned exits from the yard, especially when the road is poorly visible due to parked cars. Secondly, the quality of the pavement. It is sad, but true — in Russian cities, broken tiles or cracked asphalt are too common. Driving fast in such conditions is simply uncomfortable due to shaking. But more importantly, there is a chance not to see a deep hole and go flying.
Therefore, if you are not going to spend 30–40 thousand rubles on equipment and drive on public roads, a maximum speed of about 30 km / h will be more than enough for you.
Power within the law
As I already noted, the average power of urban electric scooters is 350 watts. This is the so-called rated power — and there is also a peak power, which is 2–3 times higher. The latter can be misleading — some reviewers indicate that it is activated as a hidden reserve when driving up a steep hill, for example. In fact, this is not the case, the “peak” is connected only during the acceleration of the electric scooter. Ceteris paribus, how high-torque the model is and how cheerfully it climbs the climbs, rather depends on the settings in the electric scooter firmware.
Source: neoline.ruJust in case, I note that the current supplied to the motor-wheel can be adjusted using the firmware and thereby limit or increase the power. However, in the latter case, you need to be prepared for a faster battery discharge.
Surely you have heard that in Russia electric scooters with a power of over 250 W require rights, and riders are regularly fined on sidewalks and roads. In reality, the situation is as follows.
In Russian traffic rules there is no such thing as an “electric scooter”. According to formal features, this vehicle is in most cases equated to mopeds (there are 2 wheels, speed up to 50 km / h, power from 250 W). This also follows from domestic judicial practice, which at the same time often interprets an electric scooter as a device for pedestrians. Be that as it may, meeting the criteria for a moped obliges the rider to have a driving license with him.
Furthermore! Traffic rules clearly indicate a ban on moving on a moped (and hence an electric scooter) on the sidewalk, or get ready to pay a fine of 2,000 rubles.
Source: profile.ruIn 2021, the Russian authorities thoroughly took up kicksharing, after which there really were no models with a power of more than 250 watts left in this area. And at the same time, electric scooters without the possibility of remote speed limiting in certain areas. When the authorities will seriously take up strict control of electric transport owned by ordinary citizens is an open question. In the meantime, it remains so, on domestic sidewalks I not only see powerful high-speed models, but they are regularly driven by teenagers, which doubly aggravates the situation.
brakes
In electric scooters, there are only two main types of brakes — drum and disc. Briefly about the main thing — if possible, choose models with a drum version.
Disc brakes.
You see them everywhere on bicycles. The key components consist of a brake disc (rotor) and two pads that, when braking is needed, fit snugly against it and stop the rotation of the wheel.
Source: fotosklad.ru.This type has several significant disadvantages:
- with the slightest rain or mud, the rotors become wet and slow down much worse;
- in a good way, changing the rotor + pad kit is required every season, together with the services of a master, such a pleasure will cost about 2,000 rubles;
- unlike a bicycle, the rotors on an electric scooter are literally ten centimeters from the ground, so not only in the forest, but even in the city, they can be easily bent. And not even in motion, but corny when transported in the trunk of a car.
Drum brakes.
Here, the brake system is relatively hermetically sealed right in the wheel. To simplify as much as possible, there are two semicircles-rotor inside. When braking, they move to the rim of the wheel (more precisely, the drum), contact with it and slow down its course.
Source: mobile-review.comThe main advantages of this solution:
- the entire system is located inside the wheel, which means it is perfectly protected from water, dirt, dust, etc. If seals or sealed bearings are used, then the protection is completely one hundred percent. In other words, weather and terrain do not affect braking performance;
- drum brake rotors have a huge resource and serve without problems for 3–4 seasons;
- it is impossible to damage the drum brake by mechanical action, because it is hidden in the wheel.
By the way, in some electric scooters, the drum brake is located in front. There may be a fear — how to slow down, because you can easily fly over the steering wheel. In fact, nothing of the kind. With the proper setting, an instant complete wheel lock is impossible — this time. Two — the power of the drum brake at speeds up to 30 km / h is enough for a quick full stop.
Wheels — the bigger the better
My main advice sounds like this — choose 10-inch wheels with the maximum width with tubeless tires. Why?
- Even without considering the width of the tires, with 8‑inch wheels you will just feel great on all the bumps in the pavement, not to mention the forest paths. 10-inch “rollers” allow you to overcome small and not very obstacles much more smoothly. There are also several models with 12-inch wheels on sale, however, due to large wheels, it requires a more powerful battery, overall structural reinforcement and, as a result, a noticeable weight gain. Where, with similar speed and mileage characteristics, a “regular” electric scooter will weigh 13–15 kg, the 12-inch version will pull on all 20 kg. Although if you do not need to constantly carry the model in your hands, this is not a problem.
Tribe Drakkar with 12″ wheels. Source: fotosklad.ru.- Almost everywhere in electric scooters, tires with a width of 2 inches are used. Together with 8‑inch wheels, you get an excellent kit for the development of arthrosis of the hands or osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. With 10-inch models, this is not so noticeable, but here it is desirable to find options with a width of up to 2.8 inches. However, you will have to spend a lot of time searching, because for some reason, manufacturers of electric scooters usually do not indicate the width of the installed tires.
This is what a 2.8″ tire looks like. Source: club.dns-shop.ru.- Depending on the model, the tubes in the tires can easily fray. In addition, any puncture will be extremely painful — if you are not your own master, then you will have to go to the service. Changing a tire on an electric scooter, believe me, is much more difficult compared to the same bike. Tubeless tires are a different story. It is only necessary to first pour a little anti-puncture liquid (sealant) through the nipple, which will instantly stop the holes and prevent air from escaping.
However, there are not many electric scooters that fit my ideals, so at least start from the presence of 10-inch wheels. Even in a chamber version and with a 2‑inch width, they allow you to feel relatively comfortable on your own sidewalks, which are most often inferior to public roads in terms of evenness.
Battery — capacity and safety
Do not try to believe the manufacturer’s claims for mileage per charge, or calculate the value from current and voltage or capacitance. Seriously, the objective characteristics of the battery allow you to understand the potential of a particular model relative to analogues, but no more. And I would not believe all kinds of mileage calculators and signs. As soon as it comes down to it, the weight of the rider, the scooter itself, the firmware settings and many more factors come into force.
Source: photo of the author.It is best to find an overview of the model of interest, where the author, without any theory, uses a GPS utility on a smartphone to measure how many kilometers the electric scooter will be discharged to zero. Well, then, depending on the weight of the rider and the mode (as a rule, the test is carried out in the most powerful mode), you get a clear understanding of what kind of autonomy you should expect from the model.
The next important thing is that the battery has all kinds of protections, without which the electric scooter will explode one not very beautiful day or night, flare up like a torch and burn the apartment. There is no need to go far for examples, there was enough sad news both in the past and this year. Therefore, we make sure that the manufacturer indicates the presence of at least protection against short circuit, overcurrent, overcharging and overheating.
Moisture protection
If you ride exclusively on sidewalks, absolutely avoid any sandy paths, and don’t roll out the electric scooter until it’s completely dry outside after the rain… Sooner or later you will get tired of it. Joking aside, the scooter has a lot of places where water, dirt, sand can easily seep in and arrange enchantingly expensive repairs for you.
Photo: Viktor PetrovWhat we pay attention to:
- a board under the screen near the steering wheel, a controller board, a BMS board for battery management. At a minimum, it would be great to see the processing of electronics with insulating varnish;
- deck. Inlet holes plus the entire perimeter of the cover at the bottom. Waterproofing to help us;
- wheel bearings. Ordinary bearings perfectly pass inside the wheel (and even motor-wheels!) All fine dirt, not to mention water. It is advisable to choose the so-called closed “industries” for the model.
As a bonus, sometimes manufacturers pack the battery in a sealed plastic case, although this is not critical if the deck is waterproofed.
Electric scooter without moisture protection. Depending on the electric scooter, waterproofing prices start from 2–4 thousand rubles and reach 10 thousand rubles for top devices. And we add a couple of thousand rubles for bearings. If the electric scooter is devoid of any protection against moisture, the service will offer you the following manipulations:
- pouring insulating varnish on all boards;
- waterproofing deck and cable holes;
- packaging of connectors in heat shrink;
- processing of the winding of the motor-wheel with a special compound.
If this list is over, we ask the master — what about sealed bearings with seals to ensure moisture protection?
Source: aprb.ruThe fact is that in the bulk of electric scooters, the usual version is used without high-quality seals. And this means that the bearings are not protected in any way from water and sand getting inside. Therefore, if the workshop has the appropriate spare parts, it is better to immediately ask to replace it with an element closed on both sides with a rubber waterproof boot.
Alternatively, instead of a seal in the bearings, they can be installed directly in front of them on the wheel axle.
Electric scooter with moisture protection. Some manufacturers indicate the presence of protection against water, but they rarely detail what specific elements they are talking about and how the declared is implemented. For example, the sonorous “complies with the IPX5 standard” may be indicated, but in reality it turns out that in the model the battery is only placed in a protective casing and the cables coming out of it are waterproofed. Therefore, if there is such an opportunity, do not be too lazy to find a video on YouTube with a complete analysis of your potential purchase.
Blitz tips: what to look for?
It is unlikely that you will refuse to buy some Ninebot KickScooter Max G30 just because of the too narrow front mudguard or unacceptably low ground clearance. However, the information below will not be superfluous.
1. Ground clearance. If you do not take into account electric scooters, two-suspension, the standard clearance is 7–7.5 cm. In rare cases, it reaches 11 cm. And the larger it is, the higher the likelihood that the model will scratch the bottom of each oncoming curb at the exit-arrival.
Source: ixbt.com2. Very often, electric scooters have too short or narrow (or both) mudguards. Frankly, there are few solutions here, but there are more or less universal pads for sale to increase and expand the protection of the rider from mud and water.
Source: market.yandex.ru.3. Remember that full-fledged high-quality forks and suspension in electric scooters start at 80,000 rubles. Or manufacturers are trying to find a compromise with acceptable quality, but because of this, other characteristics suffer, primarily battery capacity.
4. I didn’t talk about weight separately, since the fork of ~ 350 W city electric scooters is not that big. This is either 13–15 kg or 18–20 kg. In the second case, a powerful battery usually becomes the cause of weighting. However, if you often need to carry the model in your hands, for example, climb the stairs to the entrance, carefully evaluate your strengths.
Source: vmn-bike-eu.imgix.net.TOP 3 best electric scooters for the city
Currently, my personal “horse” is the Neoline T28, which, at an extremely modest price of 32,900 rubles, has full waterproofing, tubeless wide 10.5 ”/2.8” wheels and a huge ground clearance of 14 cm.
Unfortunately, it is not in the assortment of fotosklad.ru at the time of this writing, but the choice in the online store is very solid. Let me give you a mini-rating and highlight the most successful electric scooters in my opinion.
Xiaomi Electric Scooter M365, 26 500 rub
Source: fotosklad.ru.Timeless classic. It is unlikely that I will go against the truth if I say that it was with this model, due to its low price, that the mass enthusiasm of our citizens for this type of equipment began. In fact, the M365 has enough sores, however, according to it, Russian masters have a huge knowledge base and practice on tuning and troubleshooting. Frankly, I am not at all a fan of 8‑inch wheels, but for some time now for Xiaomi M365, kits for transferring to 10-inch “rollers” have even appeared on sale.
Ninebot KickScooter Max G30, 45 900 rub
Source: fotosklad.ru.If anyone is not in the know, the main investor in Ninebot is the notorious company Xiaomi. The cooperation turned out to be mutually beneficial, as one side receives excellent financial support, and the other receives the “brains” to develop their own electric scooters. It should be noted that Ninebot, consciously or not, clearly adheres to the philosophy of Xiaomi with the release of very profitable models at a relatively low price.
Ninebot KickScooter Max G30, although not without flaws, stands out against the background of the vast majority of competitors with tubeless 10-inch wheels, decent (albeit not complete) waterproofing and excellent build quality. I recommend the G30 version, since the G30P model costs almost 25,000 more, but the only noticeable advantage is a higher speed, 30 km/h instead of 25 km/h.
HIPER Model Z, 52 660 rubles
Source: fotosklad.ru.As I said, if you still meet two-suspension electric scooters up to 70,000 rubles, then most likely the manufacturer will save on battery capacity. And yet, if we take into account that most often the round-trip for the owners of scooters does not exceed 10 km, then the real ~ 20 km of the total mileage of the HIPER Model Z look tolerable. Yes, all 34 km are declared, but with a power of 800 W, an adult rider will clearly travel a little more than a couple of tens of kilometers.
Briefly about the main
1. If you are not going to travel on public roads (and spend an additional 30–40 thousand rubles on equipment), then your choice is a city electric scooter with a power of up to 350 watts.
2. Yes, according to Russian law, the owner of an electric scooter with a power of more than 250 W must have a category “M” license, otherwise — a fine. However, in practice, mass cases of “catching” riders have not yet been observed.
3. If possible, it is better to purchase an electric scooter with drum brakes — they are much more trouble-free, reliable and cheaper to operate than disc brakes.
4. The larger and wider the wheels, the better the electric scooter absorbs bumps. Ideally, 10-inch models should be considered for purchase. Unless you’re on a tight budget, it’s best to avoid 8‑inch wheels or risk feeling every crack and bump in the pavement hard.
5. An extremely useful feature would be tubeless tire fitting. Either by default, or transferring the purchased model to this method. On the one hand, this will add cushioning, on the other hand, it will allow you not to be afraid of punctures.
6. The actual mileage may, depending on both the driving conditions and the manufacturer’s settings, differ greatly from the declared by the manufacturer. Or what you theoretically assume based on the parameters of the battery. Real tests-reviews of technology — “our everything”.
7. We do not spare money for waterproofing, savings can go sideways due to dust, sand, dirt and water getting into the electric scooter. If the manufacturer declares some kind of moisture protection, it is necessary to carefully study the question of which elements of the model it touched.
8. The weight of an urban electric scooter is usually either 13–15 kg or 18–20 km. As a rule, the main factor in the increase in weight is a more capacious battery. If you constantly need to carry the model in your hands up the stairs, it is better to choose a device up to 15 kg.
And the last piece of advice — it is better to pay attention to models that have been on sale for more than the first or even the second year, and their manufacturer directly reports on constant improvements and improvements. So you very seriously reduce the risk for your own money to get into the ranks of testers of new products and their sores.
That’s all for me, I wish dear readers a good choice and trouble-free trips!
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