Zero Electric Scooters

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#2234244 10-May-2019 08:52

Interesting indeed, but I couldn't see one key piece of information on that LTSA page:

What is the definition of a 'fat tyre electric scooter'?

Given this page makes out that these scooters are sometimes marketed as mobility scooters, I'm assuming that they're not talking about ones like Zero scooters? But without a clear definition (and relying on inferred knowledge of what this means) it's pretty damn ambiguous.

It would really p!ss me off if Police start cracking down on e-scooters (being ridden sensibly, he adds quickly) in the current climate of confused regulation and a quickly shifting market; I ride my scooter sensibly, generally wear a hi-vis jacket, always wear a helmet... hell, I even now have indicators I use! And yet every morning I see drivers of vehicles making dodgy calls - often resulting in placing MY life at risk! (What is it about NZers and roundabouts?)

LiveM

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#2234346 10-May-2019 10:14

From this and further reading I think we can safely conclude thus:

a) The letter of the law is not applied as written, leaving gaps, contradictions and confusion; and
b) The powers and influencers vary in their beliefs, predictions and the outcomes they want to see

Through all of this, the lay of the land as it appears to me is:

As long as they are allowed in NZ, Bird and Lime scooters will be held up as sample models of a scooters that fall below the definition of a fat-tyre scooter and within the requirements for use on the road and footpath.

Therefore I expect any of the current Inokim, Segway and Xiaomi models and their ilk will be fine and by extension anything slimmer and lighter such as eMicro, Zoom, Razor and Etwow (each with one or more links with each other in terms of design of current models, by the way).

Additional interesting commentary and quotes:

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/384678/confusion-over-e-scooters-vehicle-status

https://fyi.org.nz/request/7151-electric-scooters-on-footpaths

https://easyfreight.co.nz/blog/escooter-nz-import-safety-concerns/

https://platinumfreight.co.nz/e-scooters-need-a-hike-in-new-zealand-regulation-and-processing/

XinfinityoO

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#2265442 27-Jun-2019 06:49

i am interested in getting a zero 8 or zero 9 scooter. Does anyone use those? Planning to carry them on train and then ride to work from station. Is it heavy and bulky, will it fit the purpose, what about the laws? i amin wellington

Thanks

jonathan18

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#2265494 27-Jun-2019 08:29

XinfinityoO:

hi

i am interested in getting a zero 8 or zero 9 scooter. Does anyone use those? Planning to carry them on train and then ride to work from station. Is it heavy and bulky, will it fit the purpose, what about the laws? i amin wellington

Thanks

@robfish is your best bet to get the information, given he's now an agent for Zero in Chch; he may also be able to advise you whether there's anyone fulfilling the same role in Wgtn.

I assume you've checked the specs on the NZ seller's site? That lists weight for both the 8 and 9 as 18kg, which is a decent weight to lug onto buses etc.

https://freedpev.co.nz/collections/all/products/zero-8

https://freedpev.co.nz/products/zero-9

I've got a 10 which is a real hefty 24kg, and I've never bothered to carry this up stairs at work (which I did do every time with my old Mi 365). 18kg is still fairly substantial; I do think you're best to try to test one out in-person as there'd be nothing worse than buying it for a purpose you can't then use it for!

There are probably other brands that may be worth looking at that offer something portable and not too heavy; personally, I'd not recommend the Mi as I don't think it's terribly robust in its build. Also, living in Wgtn you may well have a need for a scooter to deal well with hills (which my 10 does), so it's a particular feature set you're after. Perhaps it could be worth finding out if there are other Zero owners in Wgtn, as you could maybe try the scooter out and find out how they think it performs in that location.

'Laws' - well, we know the larger ones like the 10 and 10X no doubt exceed the limits placed in that LTSA notice, and others can comment on whether the 8 or 9 do as well; I too was initially worried about this, but decided to take the risk - we don't know where scooter regulation will go, and I'm sure police are more concerned with riders acting dangerously than worrying about simply the power of a scooter. Ride safely and sensibly and I doubt they'll be interested...

XinfinityoO

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#2265497 27-Jun-2019 08:33

jonathan18:

XinfinityoO:

hi

i am interested in getting a zero 8 or zero 9 scooter. Does anyone use those? Planning to carry them on train and then ride to work from station. Is it heavy and bulky, will it fit the purpose, what about the laws? i amin wellington

Thanks

@robfish is your best bet to get the information, given he's now an agent for Zero in Chch; he may also be able to advise you whether there's anyone fulfilling the same role in Wgtn.

I assume you've checked the specs on the NZ seller's site? That lists weight for both the 8 and 9 as 18kg, which is a decent weight to lug onto buses etc.

https://freedpev.co.nz/collections/all/products/zero-8

https://freedpev.co.nz/products/zero-9

I've got a 10 which is a real hefty 24kg, and I've never bothered to carry this up stairs at work (which I did do every time with my old Mi 365). 18kg is still fairly substantial; I do think you're best to try to test one out in-person as there'd be nothing worse than buying it for a purpose you can't then use it for!

There are probably other brands that may be worth looking at that offer something portable and not too heavy; personally, I'd not recommend the Mi as I don't think it's terribly robust in its build. Also, living in Wgtn you may well have a need for a scooter to deal well with hills (which my 10 does), so it's a particular feature set you're after. Perhaps it could be worth finding out if there are other Zero owners in Wgtn, as you could maybe try the scooter out and find out how they think it performs in that location.

'Laws' - well, we know the larger ones like the 10 and 10X no doubt exceed the limits placed in that LTSA notice, and others can comment on whether the 8 or 9 do as well; I too was initially worried about this, but decided to take the risk - we don't know where scooter regulation will go, and I'm sure police are more concerned with riders acting dangerously than worrying about simply the power of a scooter. Ride safely and sensibly and I doubt they'll be interested...

Thanks for the insight. What would you recommend to use, which are not that heavy. i have been doing a lot of research but its hard to find a balance. It helps when others have experience or more knowledge about them so i would love to know your opinion.

Thanks mate

jonathan18

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#2265670 27-Jun-2019 10:58

Sorry, I'm really not particularly knowledgeable of the options at the more portable end (other than recommending to be wary of the Mi given its build - that said, if you're only using it occasionally/for short distances it'll probably be ok, just don't expect it to last forever).

I did look over all options when I bought my Zero, but found that most other scooters up to my price-point ($2k tops) were comparatively under-powered - I wanted speed, robustness, decent suspension and good battery life, whereas for a 'last mile' solution like you're after it's more portability and weight that are important.

Inokim's a brand of smaller/more portable scooter that seems to get good reviews, but they are expensive! They seem to be better-built equivalents of the Mi. The Wellington dealer is out in LH; they sell some other brands as well - http://www.moove.co.nz/e-scooters/

BlueOwl

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#2265674 27-Jun-2019 11:18

I take a Zero 9 on the trains in Auckland fairly regularly and have no problem. At the station I take the lifts rather than lifting it down stairs or escalators. On the train I sit in the north-south seats near where the bikes and wheelchairs go, and tuck the foot board of the scooter under the my seat at an angle and leave the handle bars up. This way it doesn't take up any spare seats and doesn't incur any evil glares from other passengers looking for a seat.

The Zero 9 is heavy, it's OK to lift it into the car now and then, but I wouldn't want to carry it for long. The wheel base is also really long compared to others, even folded up it will be difficult to take on a bus and most likely won't fit under a train seat.

On the other hand, the Zero 9 has great power, suspension, and braking and works really well for a daily commute of a few kms.

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robfish

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#2265711 27-Jun-2019 12:27

As an agent I have ridden/used the Zero 8, 9 and 10 models

I recommend that if you do not need the extra power and speed of the 10 that the 9 is a good bet. (It is still way more powerful and faster than smaller scooters.

The length is good for a better ride than smaller scooters. The brakes and suspension also make for a good ride.

Recommended rider weight limit is the same on the 9 and 10.

If price is an issue the 8 is still a great machine and more powerful than other similar sized scooters.

Rob

boland

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#2266381 28-Jun-2019 16:07

These scooters look very interesting! I live on the hills, quite a steep gradient at places, will the Zero 8 be sufficient?

Also, I'm now taking a very inefficient ICE car to the train station (about 7km) every day, costs me about 2L of petrol to get there and back. So going on a scooter will be saving me quite some money, plus it's better for the environment of course. Just curious how comfortable the ride is for about a 7km ride with a bag on my back?

I could take a bus, but I hate the bus and the connection with the train is not really good.

jonathan18

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#2266386 28-Jun-2019 16:20

Can't comment on how well an 8 deals with hills (but certainly the 10's great); I think, if you read earlier in this thread, Robfish recommended a 9 or 10 for hills? (but, of course, both are less portable, if you intend to take it on the train).

Anyway, in regards to distance - my ride's only half that distance, and I could certainly cope with twice what I do - it's pretty damn effortless (most of the effort is simply avoiding car drivers being d!cks). I'm sure the larger wheels (10") of the 10 helps (it's very stable compared to the 8" Mi), but other things like the suspension (on all the Zero scooters, to a great degree) will play a role in this ease of ride.

As a comparison - after the same 3.5km commute on my old Mi scooter I found my hands would be slightly numb - no such issue on the Zero.

Best thing is to try one out, if you live anywhere near the dealer (or in Chch, or elsewhere they have other agents).

boland

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#2266397 28-Jun-2019 16:37

jonathan18:

Can't comment on how well an 8 deals with hills (but certainly the 10's great); I think, if you read earlier in this thread, Robfish recommended a 9 or 10 for hills? (but, of course, both are less portable, if you intend to take it on the train).

Anyway, in regards to distance - my ride's only half that distance, and I could certainly cope with twice what I do - it's pretty damn effortless (most of the effort is simply avoiding car drivers being d!cks). I'm sure the larger wheels (10") of the 10 helps (it's very stable compared to the 8" Mi), but other things like the suspension (on all the Zero scooters, to a great degree) will play a role in this ease of ride.

As a comparison - after the same 3.5km commute on my old Mi scooter I found my hands would be slightly numb - no such issue on the Zero.

Best thing is to try one out, if you live anywhere near the dealer (or in Chch, or elsewhere they have other agents).

Not intending to take it on the train, I'm planning to put it in a bike locker. My daily walk to work from the train station and back is a part of my daily exercise :) Plus it's just easier to not have to worry about it.

I'm in the Wellington region, will have a look at dealers here. Thanks!

XinfinityoO

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#2266492 28-Jun-2019 18:38

jonathan18:
Can't comment on how well an 8 deals with hills (but certainly the 10's great); I think, if you read earlier in this thread, Robfish recommended a 9 or 10 for hills? (but, of course, both are less portable, if you intend to take it on the train).

Anyway, in regards to distance - my ride's only half that distance, and I could certainly cope with twice what I do - it's pretty damn effortless (most of the effort is simply avoiding car drivers being d!cks). I'm sure the larger wheels (10") of the 10 helps (it's very stable compared to the 8" Mi), but other things like the suspension (on all the Zero scooters, to a great degree) will play a role in this ease of ride.

As a comparison - after the same 3.5km commute on my old Mi scooter I found my hands would be slightly numb - no such issue on the Zero.

Best thing is to try one out, if you live anywhere near the dealer (or in Chch, or elsewhere they have other agents).

Hi mate

Got confused a bit... zero 8 and zero 9 are same weight.. whats the difference in size..is it reallyy uncomfortable to take on a train

jonathan18

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#2266578 29-Jun-2019 05:35

XinfinityoO: Hi mate

Got confused a bit... zero 8 and zero 9 are same weight.. whats the difference in size..is it reallyy uncomfortable to take on a train

Have you read up on the differences between the scooters on obvious pages like the Singapore website FalconPEV? It's one of the top listings if you search for Zero scooter.

https://www.falconpev.com.sg/collections/electric-scooters-e-scooters/products/zero-8

https://www.falconpev.com.sg/collections/electric-scooters-e-scooters/products/zero-9

This is the first line from the Zero 9 page:

The ZERO 9 is essentially an amped-up ZERO 8 with a higher power output (25A controller), air tires front and rear to provide more ride comfort and double brakes (rear drum brakes and front disc brake).

Perhaps that explains why they weigh the same - and I assume would be the same size. As to what that size would be, you'll need to ask the dealer or perhaps robfish could answer, or it may be stated somewhere else on the internet.

Edit: folded size of the 9 is listed as 1000 L x 200 W x 390 mm H, while the 10 as 115cm L x 23cm W x 45cm H - that's a decent difference, and it would need to be for commuting as the 10 is a beast!

Source:https://personalelectrictransport.co.uk/shop/electric-scooter/zero-9-electric-scooter/

https://personalelectrictransport.co.uk/shop/electric-scooter/zero-10-electric-scooter/

nzkiwiman

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#2267751 1-Jul-2019 13:18

While in Singapore I did an e-Scooter tour via CityScoot

Pretty sure they were using Zero e-Scooters, and it was my first experience using a non kick e-Scooter (seeing as I had only used Lime's in the past). It was also speed limited to 25km, and being slightly heavier than the rest of my riding companions, I was left in the dust a few times.

I am still looking at getting some kind of e-Scooter in September/October (once the weather warms up) for my commute from my carpark to work (sadly it won't save me a journey in the car from home to work)

XinfinityoO

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Master Geek

#2269892 4-Jul-2019 13:26

People who use the Zero Scooters for daily commute, how do you deal with rain. The scooters are not waterproof, do you still take them out?

Also i saw the TNE scooter, cheaper than zero and good specs, but heavy, starting at 23kg

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