Best lightweight folding electric scooter?

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spacedog

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#281161 3-Feb-2021 09:00

I've had a Ninebot ES4 for a few years now and I use it in a combination to go the last mile between my car and public transport. So I'm often folding it up and putting it in the boot of the car or taking it on / off ferries.

However, it's getting a bit old now and needs new tyres and I'm considering just selling it and getting something newer/better.

The thing about the ES4 that has been good is that it has enough climbing power to get me through the hills and neighborhoods of Auckland (I'm ~75kg) without having to kick-assist much (or at all). And then when it comes to folding and carrying it, it's really not that heavy at 14.0kg.

A lot of the other e-scooter I have seen are really quite heavy. Seems the lightest I have noticed so far might be the Magnum and maybe the Zero 9? Those look like they come in around 16kg?

Would love to hear thoughts from any users of the Zero 9 and Magnum or other Electric Scooters that have decent build, but are folding and reasonably light.

jonathan18

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#2646369 3-Feb-2021 11:43

I see the Magnum has 10" tyres vs the 8" on your current scooter, which is great to see especially given they still manage to keep the weight down to 16kg: I found the move from 8 to 10" tyres was such a benefit, especially at speed, as the scooter was so much more stable.

According to Freed's website, the Zero 9 comes in at 18kg, so a bit more than the Magnum. I certainly have never bothered carrying my own Zero 10 (24kg) anywhere, whereas my first (a Mi 365) was light enough to carry up the stairs at work.

Have you checked out the Inokim range? I've not ridden any but have previously read good things about them; I was looking at various models at my local PEV retailer and they seemed to be really well-built. (Oops - looking at the options on their website those Inokim models may be well-built but equally they're not light! All seem to be over 20kg.)

spacedog

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#2649386 8-Feb-2021 12:06

Well I've dropped the Magnum out of the equation since it seems that it has no front or rear shocks and relies on pneumatic tyres alone for any cushioning.

It looks like the E-TWOW GT 2020 is leader of the pack for being lightweight and having good power. Test rode one yesterday and it seems really good. It possibly felt a little less stable than my ES4, but it could be that I just wasn't used it. It also felt like it's low speed acceleration wasn't super smooth which concerns me for the days when I might be riding it on wet streets. I won't usually ride in the rain, but I will often ride in very light rain or on the streets after it stopped raining. The ES4 managed pretty ok as it actually has pretty good low speed acceleration

The 2nd choice seems to be a Zero 8 or Zero 9. Tips in at 18kg, which is at the upper end of what I was looking for but still seems manageable.

Can anyone here comment on Zero 8 and Zero 9 for low speed acceleration and it's handling on wet streets (also is the mudguard long enough to prevent back splatter from wet roads)?

@jonathan18 you ever try the Zero 8 or 9?

jonathan18

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#2649411 8-Feb-2021 12:20

Sorry, haven't tried any of the other Zeros as there's no dealer in the lower NI; I bought on-line (which isn't something I think I'd do next time as I think there's a big advantage having the dealer close for service, repairs etc.).

I'm a little bit wary of the build quality of my Zero, and would probably go for a different brand next time (eg, the Inokim range I mentioned above), but I haven't been worried about weight or portability, unlike you. (And, that said, I've started putting money aside for an e-bike, as I'm over the flat tyres I've got so regularly on my scooter.)

Edit: could be worth asking for feedback on the 8 and 9 on the Zero thread, as there are a number of owners who have posted in that: https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=162&topicid=245371

jonathan18

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#2649413 8-Feb-2021 12:29

spacedog:

It looks like the E-TWOW GT 2020 is leader of the pack for being lightweight and having good power. Test rode one yesterday and it seems really good. It possibly felt a little less stable than my ES4, but it could be that I just wasn't used it. It also felt like it's low speed acceleration wasn't super smooth which concerns me for the days when I might be riding it on wet streets. I won't usually ride in the rain, but I will often ride in very light rain or on the streets after it stopped raining. The ES4 managed pretty ok as it actually has pretty good low speed acceleration

That's quite a feat to create a scooter that compact/light-weight and still get a max speed of close to 40kmh! Range isn't huge, but if that's not an issue for you it looks like a good option.

Not sure if you've seen this review (which labels this model the 'boss of ultraportables'), which also notes 'small tyes not as stable' as a negative, reflecting your comment on stability. Personally, stability is important to me when doing 40kmh on the road, but again larger tyres will typically be on larger/heavier scooters so won't necessarily tick those boxes...

https://electric-scooter.guide/reviews/etwow-gt-2020-review/