The GOTRAX G3 Plus combines features from the best of GOTRAX’s budget electric scooters in one super-affordable vehicle that gets the basics just right and leaves the bells and whistles for pricier models. 

It’s got an impressive top speed, great hill climbing ability, and comfortable 10-inch air filled tires for a smooth ride. What more can you expect from GOTRAX’s latest $399 budget commuter scooter? Read on to find out. 

We’re excited to review another GOTRAX scooter, because they’ve always been a great value, and their whole fleet has been updated since our last review! Spoiler alert, this scooter is Cheap! But is it the good kind of cheap? We think it is.

Most people shopping for electric scooters want easy-to-ride, portable, affordable options that don’t require a lot of maintenance or tech-savviness to operate. Along with the Xiaomi M365 (no longer available in North America) and the Segway MAX, buyers have largely looked to models like the GOTRAX G4 to fit that bill.

We’re used to seeing the less-expensive scooters from GOTRAX with 187Wh batteries, until the GOTRAX Apex came out with 216Wh. The G3 Plus also has a 216Wh battery for more power and range than previous budget models.

The GOTRAX warranty has also improved: 1 year for most major parts and 6 months of coverage for the battery.

The G3 Plus takes many of the best qualities from the company’s budget models, nailing the basics while skipping the frills.

If you haven’t subscribed to our YouTube channel, we suggest you do. There’s an exciting giveaway for our subscribers, and we wouldn’t want you to miss out. While there, you can check out some of our interesting videos.

Our Take: This Solid Budget Commuter Offers Great Value from a Well-Known Brand

Is it Good for Bigger, Heavier Riders?

With a rider weight limit of 220 lbs and large, 10-inch pneumatic tires, the GOTRAX G3 Plus should be a decent ride for Big Dawgs.

However, given that it can only achieve its maximum range with somewhat overinflated tires, some larger riders may wish to step up to the more powerful G4, with its 250 lb weight limit, to get the most out of their ride.

Additionally, we recommend more powerful scooters budget scooters for larger riders like the Unagi Model One (by subscription) and affordable alternatives from TurboAnt like the X7 Pro or X7 Max, both of which have a 275 lb rider weight limit.

GOTRAX G3 Plus Electric Scooter Review

Acceleration

The G3 Plus has better than average acceleration for the price, and even beats out higher-priced, entry level scooters like the TurboAnt X7 Pro and X7 Max, as well as GOTRAX’s own XR Elite and the seated FLEX.

In fact, the only competitor in the G3 Plus’s price range that beats its 0-15 mph time of 7.1 seconds is the Hiboy S2, a budget speed champ with inferior ride and build quality.

Top Speed

The G3 Plus’s top speed really is exceptional for the price. Not only does its 18.1 mph beat out all of GOTRAX’s other budget commuter scooters except the G4, but it also beats Segway Ninebot’s E2 and E22, the Xiaomi M365, and TurboAnt X7 Pro.

Hill Climb

We were super-impressed with the G3 Plus’s hill climbing abilities on steep city grades. The scooter maintained its maximum speed of 18 mph all the way to the top of a 6% grade hill with a full battery. Similarly, it was way above expectations – and many of its competitors – when it came to climbing our 10% grade test hill. 

Check our database to see how your favorite scooter performs against other scooters for different metrics–all our tests for the different scooters are performed under similar conditions.

Range and Battery

On our hilly urban test course, on mode 2 (of only 2 riding modes) and with the tire pressure at 50 PSI, the G3 Plus covered 9.8 miles before it ran out of battery life. This is just a little over half the 18 miles the company promises in the lower speed mode on flat terrain, but that estimate seems just a little optimistic. 

No one should expect a long range electric scooter when buying the G3 Plus. But while ten miles of maximum range might not seem like much, it’s worth remembering that the vast majority of trips made by electric scooter are under 3 miles. If you commute via scooter a couple miles per day, you’ll only have to charge the G3 Plus every couple days. 

Also keep in mind that the recommended pressure of 36 PSI on the tires won’t get you the full range. The manual recommends 50 PSI, and it’s safe to pump the tires up to that number. If you’d rather stay at 36 PSI, which will give you a more comfortable ride overall, you can expect a range of between 8 and 8.5 miles.

Braking

The G3 Plus uses what is by now the most classic budget scooter braking setup: a front electric brake and mechanical disc brake in the rear wheel, both combined and controlled by a single brake lever to the left of the bell.

Braking can feel a little mushy. These aren’t the most powerful brakes you’ll find on a budget commuter scooter, but with a stopping distance 16.5 feet, we can place the G3 Plus pretty much right in the middle of its closest competition in the under $500 range.

Ride Quality

The 10-inch air filled tires feel good and provide the grip you expect from pneumatic tires, which is to say noticeably better traction than solid tires. However, the ride quality was not quite as smooth as expected, given the manual’s specifications for 50 PSI. 

If you decide to go closer to the 36 PSI printed on the side of the tires, you’ll have a smoother ride and probably get a mile or so less distance. But you’ll also want to check your tire pressure more frequently, because losing too much air from lower pressure inner-tube tires can result in pinch flats.

GOTRAX G3 Plus Electric Scooter Features

Portability

The GOTRAX G3 Plus is not the lightest electric scooter in its class at 35 lbs, but it’s still very manageable in most any situation. 

The folding mechanism has a nice safety knob that you pull and twist to lock into safety-off position, and then you pull the sturdy metal lever to fold. 

In order to lock the stem to the deck, GOTRAX uses a hook mounted to the stem that doubles as a bag-hook to carry groceries (handy!). 

The problem is that when you latch the stem to the rear fender using the hook, it can come unlatched especially if you twist the handlebars side to side while loading it into the trunk, so carry the scooter carefully, and preferably load/unload it from a car with two hands.

Cockpit

As with the rest of the G3 Plus, GOTRAX gets the fundamentals right with its digital display. The number one thing a display needs to do is be easy to read, and it does that. 

You’ll have no trouble reading the scooter display in direct sunlight. There’s not a ton of detail, but it has what you need: a large, easy-to-read speedometer, easy-to-read battery gauge (though it only has 4 bars total), and indicators for speed mode and to let you know when cruise control has kicked in. 

There’s a soft beep when cruise turns on and a trip meter which resets automatically each time you turn it on. The G3 Plus has a cheap and cheerful bell to alert pedestrians you’re coming, but cars aren’t likely to hear it. 

The grips aren’t particularly soft, but we like the large size and texture with nubs all over them. Overall, we found the controls well-placed, and they needed no adjustment out of the box.

Lights

GOTRAX gives the G3 Plus a decent lighting profile for the price, with a LED headlight built in between the handlebars and a tail light that doubles as a brake light. 

As is the case with almost all budget scooters, the lights are not especially bright. We recommend supplementing them with aftermarket lighting if you plan to ride at night. 

Tires

The 10-inch air filled tires have tubes, and one complaint is that you need a valve extender to inflate the front, which is fairly typical. (This is hands-down, the best kind.) 

The rear valve stem can be a challenge to fill. Fortunately the rubber valve extender GOTRAX supplies with the scooter gets the job done. 

Just be sure to add about 5 to 10 lbs extra pressure than you need because the rubber tube-style extenders lose a lot more air when being removed from the valve stem.

Deck

The G3 Plus has an exceptionally long deck, 47 inches, which makes for a comfortable and stable ride, though the downside is that it’s a tight squeeze getting it into the trunk of car because it’s several inches longer than most scooters in its class.

Still, riders with a wider stance or bigger feet will appreciate the extra real estate!

Build Quality

The list of features is sparse, but also typical for a $399 budget commuter scooter. There’s no app, no zero-start option (you have to kickstart the motor), and no way to disable cruise control, so it’s just going to always turn on after 10 seconds of riding.

There is also a bit of slack in the folding mechanism, when the stem is locked in the upright position. On a high-power scooter, that would be a bother, but it’s hardly noticeable when riding or pushing the G3 Plus 

These are ultimately minor complaints. On the whole, and especially for the price, the G3 Plus is a well-built scooter that is solid and feels fun and safe to ride.

Safety

It’s got a tail light and brake light! That may not seem like much, but at this price point tail lights aren’t guaranteed.

The GOTRAX GXL V2, for example, has a reflective sticker on the rear fender rather than a light. The higher-priced ANYHILL UM-1 has rear lighting, but lacks a brake light, a feature that really does help keep you from getting rear ended! 

Warranty 

As we noted at the top, GOTRAX has improved their warranty from previous models. They now offer 1 year of coverage on most major parts of the scooter and a 6-month warranty on the battery.

GOTRAX G3 Plus Electric Scooter: Review Conclusion

It’s been a little while since we’ve reviewed a GOTRAX kick scooter. The last one we rode (and loved) was the G4. As we’ve mentioned, the G3 Plus adopts some of the G4’s best features – 10-inch air filled tires, fast acceleration, and a high top speed – for a smaller, even cheaper scooter.

We can still confidently recommend the GOTRAX G4 as a budget alternative to popular (and largely unavailable) commuter scooters like the Xiaomi M365. And we can just as confidently recommend the GOTRAX G3 Plus, for $100 less, as a fun, fast, and reliable scooter for short commutes and rides around town. 

It’s hard to wrong with what you get for this price. We were especially impressed with the G3 Plus’s high top speed, and with its ability to climb steep hills at speed. It’s rare to find such hill climbing ability in a cheap budget scooter. The G3 Plus offers a great example of the best kind of “cheap” – a basic, high-value, low-cost electric scooter that gets the job done!