Electric Scooter Guide

Electric scooters provide a super-efficient, speedy and environmentally friendly way to trave. It’s estimated that an electric scooter is over five times quicker than walking and can save you hours throughout your busy week.

As electric scooters become more and more popular throughout the UK, you want to make sure you’re buying the right scooter for your needs. And that’s where this handy guide comes in.

What to consider when buying an electric scooter

Everyone looks for different features when it comes to picking their scooter. These can include:

Range
Weight
Speed
Quality of ride
Max Rider Weight
Motor Power
Tyres
Suspension
Design
Foldability
Charging time
Lights
Warranty
Cost

When it comes to making your decision on an electric scooter, this guide can help you to figure out what is the most important aspect to you:

Range- scooters can vary hugely on the distances they can travel. If you know you have a long journey ahead, then look for a scooter with a longer range.

Weight- the weight of your scooter can be important, especially if you are picking it up to carry at any point within your journey. If you like the look of a scooter that is a little on the heavier side, there are accessories you can buy to make it easier to carry, including scooter handles and scooter shoulder straps. But if you are a smaller person or want something easier to carry, you might be more suited to a lightweight scooter. If you don’t have to carry your scooter on a day-to-day basis, then the weight of the scooter will be less of a concern.

Speed- make sure to check the top speed of the scooter, especially if buying for someone under 18 or if you’d just prefer to cruise at lower speeds. Most of our scooters can reach a top speed of 25km/h, depending on a number of variables like terrain, rider wight, weather conditions, etc.

Quality of ride- if you are looking for a smooth ride, we’d suggest bigger frames and footboards, along with off-road, sturdier tyres. This will ensure no matter the terrain, you have a controlled ride.

Max Rider Weight- scooters have different maximum capacities so double check the one you’re thinking of buying. It’s not advised to buy a scooter with a max capacity below the rider’s weight. This will then void the warranty and could be dangerous when riding.

Motor Power- the strength of the motor will influence the level of gradient you can climb on your scooter and how fast your scooter can travel. You should choose an electric scooter with at least 250 watts of power. That’ll be sufficient to get you across flat ground and over small hills. If you weigh over 80kg, it’s recommended to purchase a scooter that has a motor that is higher than 250W to help you reach higher speeds and to help with slight gradients. If you live somewhere with lots of hills, it’s better to look at a scooter with a motor over 250W.

Suspension – if you know you’ll be travelling on uneven terrain, we’d recommend you to pick off-road tyres and stronger suspension. A scooter with large, air-filled tyres without suspension will give a smoother ride than a scooter with solid tyres and suspension. Suspension can either be attached to the front, rear or both wheels.

Tyres- There are two types of tyres to consider: pneumatic (air-filled) and solid rubber (airless.)

Air-filled tyres offer a smooth ride, with shock absorption and good handling, but are prone to punctures and require maintenance. It’s important to regularly check and manage your air pressure to make sure you can brake safely and your tyres remain their grip. If this isn’t done, you can cause damage to the scooter, the battery and the tyres themselves.

E-scooters with solid tyres require next to no maintenance and are essentially ‘puncture-free’ if you are regularly riding where there are ground materials that could cause a puncture (glass, thorns, etc.) Solid tyres aren’t quite as smooth as air-filled, so you will feel slightly more bumps and vibrations.

Design – the design of the scooter is of course crucial. You need to like it and look forward to riding it every day! Whether it’s a slick Lamborghini design or a sturdier, off-road Ducati Scrambler design, pick what’s right for you. Consider the colour, the ease of access to handlebar features, foldability and bodywork.

Foldability – this is especially important if you’ll be needing to carry your scooter for parts of your journey. Our full range of scooters can be folded in half, making them practical and easy to carry. We’d highly recommend a scooter that folds, especially if you ever need to transport the scooter outside of your day-to-day.

Charging time- when shopping around for a scooter, you’ll want to pick a scooter that has a reasonable charging time. Avoid scooters that take over 8 hours to charge. The majority of our range take between 4-6 hours for a full charge, depending on how low the battery is to begin with.

Lights- if you know you’ll be using your scooter after dark, it’s highly recommended to get a scooter with built in front and rear lights. You can always buy separate lights to be added to your scooter, but if you know you’ll be using it in the dark, it’s better to have in-built lights.

Warranty - Not all e-scooters come with a warranty you can count on, and you should be especially cautious when buying direct from a foreign country. There are also plenty of cheap scooters available online that don’t come with a warranty to protect your purchase. Our full range, come with a one-year warranty.

Cost- it’s not difficult to find cheap scooter models online, but be aware of add-ons like import duty, warrantee and postage that can really increase the price. At Moov Electric, we offer a 12 month warranty on all scooters, we offer free next-day delivery to mainland UK and there are no hidden costs.

Safety aspects – there are many brands that can be bought online and from overseas but remember the main thing you should be looking for is safety and a brand you can trust. All of our scooters come with the CE certification mark and DOC, guaranteeing they have passed all the required security checks.