The Best E-Scooters for a Zero-Emissions Commute

What to Look for in an E-scooter

Cost

There is a range of e-scooter pricing, but the quality tends to increase as the amount gets higher.

Weight

E-scooter weight ranges from as light as 15 pounds to 155 pounds. Total weight will depend on size, battery, motor, foldability, and other features. If you'll need to carry your scooter frequently, a lighter model may be a better option for you.

Battery and Battery Range

Most electric scooters will have lithium-ion as they charge faster and tend to travel more miles per charge. Less expensive versions of those for kids might feature lead-acid batteries. The larger the battery the more capacity, or watt-hours, an electric scooter will have.

When it comes to range or miles per charge, electric scooters are available that can go as far as 75 miles on a charge based on perfect conditions including rider weight, terrain, and weather conditions. So keep in mind that the range listed by the manufacturer is often higher than real-world conditions.

Speed

There are electric scooters made for adults that manufacturers boast can reach speeds of over 60 miles per hour. Most electric scooters designed for children have a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour. Yet actual speed is impacted by features such as tires, frame weight, terrain, battery charge, and tires as well as the weight of the rider. When thinking about top speeds, you'll also want to know if there are any local speed limits for e-scooters in your area.

Power

E-scooter motors can range from 80 to 12,000-watts. Typical commuter options have between 200- and 500-watt motors. Experts advise choosing one with at least 250 watts of power so that you can get across flat ground as well as small hills. E-scooters with a single powerful motor or dual motors are more likely to handle lots of hills.

Brakes

E-scooters come with one of four brake types.

• Electric or regenerative – unique to electric vehicles, these brakes allow kinetic energy during braking to be converted back into energy and be stored in batteries.
• Foot brakes – typically involve the rider stepping down on the rear fender to create friction and slow the e-scooter.
• Drum brakes – are cheaper to manufacture than disk brakes and tend to last longer as they have increased friction contact area than disc brakes.
• Disc brakes – are effective and reliable options that have high stopping power, especially on hills.

Tires

E-scooters roll out on pneumatic or airless tires. The pneumatic option tends to absorb more shock absorption and offer more stability and traction. Yet they also require more maintenance than airless tires. They may also get a flat.

Why Trust Treehugger?

We want to help our readers find the right low-carbon and emissions-free transportation options. For this round up, we reviewed customer and third-party rankings of the best-selling, most popular, and in-stock electric scooters. We evaluated key specs such as weight, miles per charge or battery range, speed, power, brakes, and tires. Our team has also tested a range of e-scooters and e-bikes.

This article was written by Heidi Wachter, who has spent a decade researching and writing about ways to reduce her environmental impact.