Having made over 2-million seated electric scooters, including the ones used by rental companies like Revel, it’s no wonder NIU’s first electric scooters, the KQi3 and KQi2, look and feel like real vehicles and not toys.

As a global heavyweight in light electric vehicles, it’s clear how NIU has been able to produce scooters with quality that’s competitive to top-shelf Segway-Ninebots, but at the price of a GoTrax, and with a warranty that beats them both. We’ll cover NIU’s unusual warranty later.

Acceleration is on par with other scooters in its class, getting from zero to 15 mph in 7.6 seconds. Even in sport mode, the throttle feels smooth and gradual, so anyone will be able to handle it.

The KQi2 Pro was an above-average hill climber in our super steep 10% hill-climb test, but really shines when climbing more typical 4 to 6% hills. I was able to maintain 15 mph on the steepest part of our range test course, right up until the last 2 mi. 

The ESG-certified top speed of the KQi2 Pro is 16.3 mph in Sport mode, which is typical for its price class though just short of its claimed 17.4 mph spec. The KQi2 Pro’s 48-volt system definitely has enough power to go faster, so I wouldn’t be surprised if an over-the-air firmware update brings the top speed of our test scooter up to 17.4 mph soon. 

A top speed above 15 mph helps you avoid getting stuck behind bikes in the bike lane, especially going uphill.

If you want to limit the top speed, you can also put it into pedestrian mode, E-Save mode, or Custom mode, which lets you select any speed below the scooter’s maximum, which is still a rare feature in the industry.

On our range test course, the  KQi2 surprised us,  covering 15.7 mi in top performance mode, beating every comparable scooter on range, and average speed.

On our range test course, the  KQi2 surprised us,  covering 15.7 mi in top performance mode, beating every comparable scooter on range, and average speed.

The NIU KQi2 Pro braking performance stopping from 15 mph in 14.1 ft. It’s strong enough to out brake every scooter in its price class, but with no possibility of going over the handlebars. They’ve done this by using a small 75mm drum brake upfront, which resists skidding, and a strong regenerative brake in the rear. The single brake lever on the left side activates both but does require a firm squeeze to get maximum stopping power. The rear brake won’t skid under normal conditions but gives you an extraordinary level of braking control if you feel like kicking it out sideways on purpose. 

The KQi2 Pro has the ride quality of a larger, more expensive scooter because NIU has used their extensive design experience to give the KQi2 Pro more of everything that makes a scooter feel stable and wobble-free: taller, wider handlebars, larger 10 in diameter tires, and a larger rake angle. All of which adds up to a lower chance of crashing if you take one hand off of the handlebars.

In combination with a rock-solid frame and rear-wheel drive, all of these things make the KQi2 Pro a wobble-free, rattle-free corner-carving monster that makes you just want to keep riding and riding.

At 40 lbs, with non-folding handlebars, portability is good, and typical for scooters in its class, but certainly not ultra-portable. Still, it’s easy to throw in the trunk, and you won't have any problem carrying it up three or more flights of stairs.

The stem latch is quick and easy to operate and has such a satisfying feel to it you may end up doing a double take when you encounter a component that feels as good as this it really says something about the quality.

The cockpit of the NIU KQi2 Pro is ultra-sleek and a standout for a scooter at this price point. The dash is bright and easy to read, even in direct sunlight. In this price range and even more expensive scooters, visibility in sunlight is also often overlooked. So it is excellent to see NIU has addressed this.

Pro Tip: If the dash ever seems dim in daylight, turn off the headlight. The dash will get brighter (and the halo, of course, stays on.)

The headlight with the always-on halo makes the rider more visible, and the fact that it’s adjustable means you can put the light right where you need it.

The KQi2 Pro doesn’t have suspension, but the 10 in diameter pneumatic tires do a great job soaking up bumps in the road. And, because the tires are tubeless, like motorcycle tires, they’re impervious to pinch-flats, eliminating one of the leading causes of flat tires.

PRO TIP: Set tire pressure at the lower limit of the spec rather than the 50 psi maximum. You’ll get a noticeable improvement in ride quality and a barely noticeable reduction of maximum range.

The scooter is available in gray or white and comes with grip tape installed, which is rare to find on small scooters. We love the grippy feel. We also like that they give you a colorful spare grip tape, plus 4 other styles you can buy on their website. This is the most customization we have ever seen coming right out of the box!

You can feel NIU’s electric motor-scooter roots in their build quality, and that’s an excellent thing. From 2 Million mopeds to scooters, The KQi2 benefits from a company dealing with massive volume shipments. Right off the bat, the packaging is something to reveal at. When you review as many scooters as we do, I was pleasantly surprised to see there was no styrofoam.

The kickstand is easy to kick down and gives the scooter just the right amount of lean.

Water protection is outstanding and makes the IP54 water resistance rating feel conservative. So it didn’t worry me at all to do the entire range test in the rain.

Most of the feature set is pretty standard stuff, but the KQi2 really over-delivers on build quality for the price, and we haven’t even gotten to the unusual warranty yet.

On less expensive scooters, it’s not uncommon for the “one-year” warranty to only cover the battery for six months. The KQi2 warranty is an outlier, covering all of the most expensive parts, including the battery, motor controller, and dash, for two years. This points out why you should always read the warranty for any scooter you’re considering, because they’re all a little different. 

For example: The warranty on GOTRAX scooters is only 90 days.

The NIU KQi2 is an impressive scooter from a company we’re very excited about. We think it’s one of the very best choices for new riders because it’s an easy, fun, and high-quality ride with a price and warranty that seem too good to be true. NIU is one of the top companies we’re watching in the coming years–they’re even a lead contender for rivaling Segway-Ninebot. So is it the best scooter you can buy right now for under six hundred dollars? In a word. Yes.