This comprehensive beginner’s guide is the ultimate resource for buying an electric scooter. You will learn about price classes, features to consider, tips for riding, maintenance, safety, laws, component parts, micromobility, and electric scooter history, and gain some tools that will help you with your buying research.
Electric Scooter Buying Guide
The guide is divided into a few sections. Feel free to use the links below to jump straight to what you’re looking for. If you’re totally new to electric scooters, then it’s helpful to read the whole guide. Not sure you’re in the right place? We have lots of other guides.
Buying an Electric Scooter
Purchasing an electric scooter can be a formidable challenge — there are an overwhelming number of choices and things to consider. A quality electric scooter can easily run you $500 but can cost upwards of $2,000. Throwing a wrench into the matters are numerous dubious sites with “reviews” from people that have never touched a scooter in their life. As you will find in this guide, electric scooters range greatly in style, price, features, origin, and even customer support.
Budget Electric Scooters (<$300)
Most scooters that fall into the budget e-scooter class are not recommended for anything but minimal or light recreational use. At this budget price point, expect under-powered motors, low capacity batteries, and weak brakes. However, there are some excellent and very functional electric scooters in this category. They are worth taking a look at if this fits your budget.
Budget commuter Electric Scooter ($300 to $600)
These scooters are great for traveling shorter distances, have a reasonable range, and suitable build quality for daily commuting. Expect occasional repairs over the few years expected lifetime. Budget commuter scooters are best when your commute has relatively smooth surfaces and not a lot of steep hills. They are light enough that you can fold and carry them upstairs once in a while.
Mid-ranged commuter Electric Scooter ($600 to $900)
A mid-ranged commuting electric scooter will have a slightly larger battery for more range and possibly more motor power than the budget commuter. You won’t see any dual-motor scooters at this price, but you will see the incorporation of suspension into some models.
Premium commuter Electric Scooter ($900 to $1200)
Scooters in the premium commuter class typically add suspension, larger motors, bigger batteries, and better brakes to the budget and mid-range offerings. The ride will be more comfortable, safer, and have a better range due to these upgrades. However, there is a tradeoff with increased weight (around 18 kgs) that makes loading into a car or carrying upstairs more difficult.
Performance Electric Scooters ($1200 to $1800)
Performance electric scooters start to offer either serious speed or ultra-long range. Many of these scooters incorporate dual motors and sizable battery packs. The longest-ranged scooter in this category can deliver up to 81 kilometers of real-world range. At this price point, which ranges from $1200 to $1800, you will also start to see some premium features including large tubeless pneumatic tires, semi-hydraulic or hydraulic brakes powerful lights, and turn signals.