We evaluated the finalists in four areas: performance, ride, portability, and quality.
- Performance. Performance basically describes fast the scooter goes, how far it goes, and how quickly it accelerates and stops. Factors affecting this are brake type, motor power, controller power, and battery capacity. All scooters are tested under the same conditions with a 165 lb rider. We use high-precision Racelogic GPS unit — the same type used for performance car testing. We use this type of unit because cell phone-based performance logging is unreliable for many of these tests. For performance, we consider:
- Acceleration time (0 to 15 mph)
- Top speed
- Range (100% to 0% charge)
- Stopping distance from 15 mph
- Ride. Ride or ride quality basically describes the feeling and stability of the scooter on a variety of terrain. Some scooters have a great ride on smooth roads but are punishing on poor ones. Features that affect ride quality are tire type and size, the geometry of the scooter, and the presence or lack of suspension. To test ride quality, we typically ride the scooter for several weeks and for around 100 miles. We test the scooter on the following types of terrain/conditions:
- Roads in good/bad repair
- Dirt trails
- Riding over grass
- Up and downhill
- Wet and dry conditions
- Portability. Portability describes how easy a scooter is to carry, store, and bring onto public transportation. Some things that affect portability are weight, folded dimensions, and folding mechanism. We specifically rate portability, based on:
- Weight
- Folded dimensions
- Folding ease and speed
- Carrying ease
- Quality. Quality encompasses how well the scooter was designed and assembled. We also consider warranty duration and post-purchase support data, if known. Some scooters need a full tune-up as soon as you take them out of the box, while others are ready to ride. To rate quality, we consider the following factors:
- Fit and finish
- Quality of components
- How solid the scooter feels
- Noise or rattling parts
- Drop test, repeated three times