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5 Things to Know Before Buying
Electric Scooters: Beginner to Expert
Electric Scooter Shopping Resource Center
Pneumatic Tires VS Solid Tires
Mechanic Disc Brakes VS Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Here’s the ultimate beginner’s guide to electric scooters including what you should know before buying, resources for how to select a scooter, what the scooter buying process is like, and e-scooter basics so you know what to maintain, how frequently, and where to get replacement parts.
Electric scooters are legal in many countries, but not everywhere. Most regions apply bicycle and e-bike regulations and restrictions to electric scooters, like carrying a driver's license and wearing a helmet. Some regions apply speed and location-based conditions. In the UK, privately owned scooters cannot be ridden on public roads (rental scooters are generally allowed).
Like buying a car, buying a commuter-worthy electric scooter is an investment, and your budget should include buying safety gear along with a quality scooter because protection is 100% necessary. The saying in the personal electric vehicle (PEV) community is “dress for the slide not the ride."
Budget scooters have short warranties from companies that won't respond when you need help. You also won’t be able to get replacement parts for proper upkeep, extending the lifespan of your scooter. Electric scooters can last for years with proper maintenance, andresponsive, comprehensive customer supportallows you to do so.
As more PEVs hit the streets, more electric scooter service centers are opening up -- but you can avoid downtime by learning basic maintenance skills. Some examples include tuning disc brakes, changing tires or inner tubes, refilling hydraulic fluid, and replacing brake pads. Keep in mind that luxury scooters like luxury cars tend to require less wrenching because they’re so well constructed.
💡 Scooter Fact
Yogi Steve (Electric Scooter Academy) has ridden thousands of miles on electric scooters around Los Angeles, mostly on premium, high performance Dualtron electric scooters. At his 2,000 mile mark, he had to do normal maintenance including changing brakes (discs/pads) and tires, but had zero issues.
Seek the best balance of performance and portability that you need AND are capable of handling. If your e-scooter is replacing your car for daily transportation, your driving experience and how you plan to use it will help you select the best electric scooter. We categorize scooters as beginner, commuter, luxury commuter, and expert based on both the scooter’s performance and expected ability of the rider.
💡 Scooter Fact
Just because it’s the newest, fastest scooter doesn't mean it's the best for you. If you haven’t been riding on two wheels (bikes, BMX, motorcycles, other PEV), there’s a rather steep learning curve.
Although it doesn’t take long to gain experience riding an electric scooter, some high performance models are more than most can handle (in speed and physical weight).
An electric scooter’s specs will greatly impact its cost and performance – just like cars – and advanced vehicles need experienced drivers. Do you know how to drive a Formula 1 car? Not without prior experience, and you should expect the same riding scooters.
If your experience is limited to riding rental scooters, even our beginner model, the EMOVE Touring, will be a huge level up in performance – about 10-15 mph (15-24 km/h) higher top speed and triple the range of shared scooters.
With a year or more experience riding PEV, you’ve probably figured out how fast and far you’re comfortable riding, and looking for more advanced features.
Here’s categories for beginner, commuter, luxury commuter, and expert electric scooters, matching rider experience with estimated top speed, estimated range, and feature package.
If you’re going to ride long distances you may want a seat, but only if you don’t need a compact scooter. Whether you’re riding recreationally or commuting daily, your riding environment, riding experience and size (height and weight) create the framework for how you should shop
Often, the “higher” the scooter’s performance, the higher its weight is to match. If you want uber powerful, you won’t also get uber portable, so balance your wants with what’s practical given your live/work environment.
As you learn more about scooter maintenance, you’ll find that more expensive models often require less upkeep. That doesn’t mean you won’t have to do some repairs — with tire/tube and brake adjustments being the most common — but will likely deal with fewer issues.
E-scooters shouldn’t be exposed to the elements for long periods of time, so ensuring you have a proper place to secure and store your ride (and space enough to do so) is essential. Most scooters have pre-installed security features but you should secure them with a U-lock or chain lock when in public.
If you’re a first responder or student, you can save 7%! In partnership with ID.me, first time buyers can get a one-time discount forstudents, teachers, andfirst responders.
If you don’t mind secondhand, we offer $200+ discounts on select scooter models through our certified refurbished program, including the EMOVE Cruiser, Kaabo Wolf King, Dualtron Thunder, and more.
For all Dualtron electric scooter owners, we offer a 10% lifetime discount for all compatible parts and accessories in an exclusive shopping experience (more about Dualtron Insider). Yes, that’s 10% off replacement parts and accessories for-EV-er.
As you’re waiting for your scooter to come, watch demos so you’ll be ready to ride as soon as it arrives. If you’ve never ridden an electric scooter before, start with our beginner’s riding guide.Got questions? Schedule aVORO Onboarding video call, so our customer support team can walk you through what you want to know about your new scooter at your pace. Find scooter-specific unboxing and setup demos, maintenance how-to’s and other helpful information in ourextensive self-help center(FAQs).
If you don’t speak scooter yet, don’t fret. Most electric scooters have the same main components. Thestemconnects the deck to thecockpit by afolding mechanism. Most scooters have a single stem but some models have a dual stem. How robust a folding mechanism is greatly affects the ride feel, with unstable mechanisms resulting in stem wobble. Along with the essential components of a stand-up scooter, most include front and rearfendersso you get less dirty while riding, akickstandto prop the scooter up when parked, and a lighting package that can includeheadlight(s),deck lights,turn signals, andtaillight(s). Here’s a diagram so you know what’s what, and the basics of scooter batteries, brakes, throttles, and more.
Most electric scooters containlithium ion (li-ion) batteriesstored in the deck. Thevoltageis the number of cells in a pack. Thecapacity that can be stored is measured in amp-hours (Ah). In general, the higher the amps, the longer the runtime.
Here’s two extremes: the EMOVE Touring has a 48V 13 Ah battery for 624 Wh of capacity or about 30 miles (48 km) of range; the Dualtron X2 has a 72V 42Ah battery for 3024 Wh (almost 5X the capacity) for about 91 miles (146 km) of range. Well-constructed batteries are monitored and regulated by aBMS (battery management system).
➕ Charges quickly and lasts long
➕ Excellent energy density
➕ Regulated by a BMS
➖ High demand increases cost and scarcity
➖ Susceptible to damage in extreme temperatures
➖ Improper care can make the battery/scooter inoperable
💡 Scooter Fact
Calculate estimated runtime in watt-hours (Wh) by finding the product of battery volts (V) and current (Ah). For example, the EMOVE Touring has a 48V 13 Ah battery for 624 Wh of usage or between 20 to 30 miles of range, depending on how you ride.
All electric scooter tires are made of rubber, but some are solid and others are air-filled. The air inside pneumatic (air-filled) tires means they conform to the road and provide great traction, but the interior cavity makes them susceptible to flats when punctured. Solid tires conform much less to the road resulting in poorer traction, but their robust, heavy build means they’re flat-proof. If a scooter has mixed tires, it has an air-filled front tire and solid rear tire.
Because they provide better performance and long-term repairability, you’ll find air-filled tires on commuter scooters, luxury commuter scooters, and expert scooters ranging in diameter from 10” to 15” with a width between 2” to 4”. In general, as tire size increases, so does stability.
The tread and contact patch(surface area that hits the ground) affect how much traction you can get. Off-road tireshave taller tread with a wider contact patch for more stable riding on unstable terrain. Street tires generally have a lower tread and rounded profile for nimble, sharper turns on smoother roads.
Pneumatic (air-filled) tires come in two main styles: inner tube and tubeless. In tubed tires (inner tube), the air is sealed inside tubing with an exterior tire,while tubeless tireshave only an exterior tire and seal directly to the rim.Tubeless tires can include tire sealant to prevent punctures from causing air to leak. These are also known asself-sealing tires, run-flat tires or no-flat tires.
💡 Scooter Fact
You can add tire sealant to inner tube tires, but there are different formulas of tire sealant for tubed and tubeless. Our Doctor Orange Tire Sealant is designed for scooters with tubeless tires, like the EMOVE Cruiser, Dualtron Thunder 2, and Kaabo Wolf King GT.
Electric scooter brakes help you slow the scooter down, and are most commonly operated by hand levers. Most electric scooters have disc brakes, which provide the greatest stopping power but are exposed and require some maintenance. You’ll find drum brakes on scooters for beginners and shared scooters because they are enclosed, require no maintenance, and last for a long time.
💡 Scooter Fact
The key when it comes to how well the brakes can perform is heat. When you apply the brakes at speed, the brakes heat up from friction. The components of disc brakes are completely exposed, allowing air to travel around and cool the calipers and pads. Drum brakes are housed inside the wheel, so heat has nowhere to go, affecting braking efficiency – which is why you don’t often see drum brakes on high-performance scooters.