Currently the top model scooters are the Xiaomi M365 and the Segway Ninebot ES2. The funny part is that Ninebot bought Segway with investments of Xiaomi. So actually Xiaomi ownes both the top models in the growing world of electric scooter. I was always a little bit sceptic, and thought it was more for kids. But after seeing lot’s of older people on the scooter while I was at holiday, one thing was clear, I wanted an electric scooter. Now I have it in my possession a over a couple of months and it turned out to be an awesome way of transportation. And it gets even better: there is also a way to hack your ES2 firmware.
Contents
Specifications
The specifications as stated on GearBest
General | Brand: Ninebot Type: Electric Kick Scooter For: Adults,Office Workers,Teenagers Folding: Yes Wheel Number: 2 Wheel Seat Type: without Seat Folding Type: Folding |
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Parameters | Battery: Li-ion Battery Mileage (depends on road and driver weight): Above 20km Maximum Mileage: 25km Maximum Speed: 25km/h Max Payload: 100kg Light: Front Lamp,Side Lamp,Tail Light Braking Distance: 4m Battery Rate: 187Wh Battery Capacity: 5.2Ah Motor Rated Power: 700W Charging Time: 3 hours Pedal Ground Clearance (no weight bearing): 7.3cm Working Temperature: -5 – 40Deg.C |
Expectations of the Segway Es2
The brand Segway is known for its two-wheeled self-balancing transporters. It stands for quality and that’s what I expect from this device. I think that I gonna use the scooter instead of my bicycle a lot.
Packaging
- Product weight: 12.0000 kg
- Package weight: 17.7200 kg
- Product size: 102.00 x 43.00 x 113.00 cm / 40.16 x 16.93 x 44.49 inches
- Package size: 110.00 x 40.00 x 21.00 cm / 43.31 x 15.75 x 8.27 inches
What’s in the Big Ninebot box?
The 4 screws on the photo are needed to fix the steer onto the scooter. with the screwdriver that is delivered (see last photo) it’sSa piece of cake.
Features
- Powerful 700W motor for the max 25km/h speed and max 10 degree gradient.
- 5.2Ah Li-ion battery ( included in the product ) for 25 km mileage
- Easy to fold / unfold, 114 x 22 x 15cm folding size for space-saving and portable to carry
- Solid rubber tire for different grounds
- Aviation aluminum alloy and rubber materials for max 100kg payload
- Suitable for the kids to play on the wide road, slope, etc.
- Input voltage: 110 – 240V
Test
We try to check out every aspect of this gadget and write about it.
But how do we test the Segway ES2? By using it of course!
I’m a male with a length of 1,9 meter and my weight is 75 kilogram. I use the scooter for getting packages from an to the postal office, riding to my family nearby (both on the bicycle road and on the paved roads). In the last two months I left my bike at home and made rides frequently on the Segway ES2 and below you can find my observations and findings on the most important topics.
Steer
Steering is very easy and the steer contains all the controls you need. Left the brakes, right the power throttle. And in the middle there is a little display (that is bright enough to read in the sun). Below the display there is one button that has multiple functions: Power on the scooter, turn on the front light, change the mode (eco, sport).
Speed
The Segway ES2 has an ECO / beginners mode that accelerates up to 15 km/h. But of course there is an Sport mode with a top speed of 25 km/h. Bot at lower speeds as in top speed the scooter is easy to ride and with my weight totally acceleration is no problem for this scooter. The ES2 has cruise control, so if you hold the same speed for five seconds you will hear a beep and cruise control is activated. Then you can release the throttle and the scooter will maintain its speed until you either brake or accelerate. Cruise control sounds useful and as just a cool feature, but when you are driving the scooter with 25 km/h you will still need both hands at your steer. So it’s a nice feature but it is not as useful as in a car.
Charging
The battery of the ES2 is located in the front bar instead of the bottom plate (which is a more common place for electric scooters to have their batteries). Charging can be done after loosening the rubber cap and therefore this scooter is not 100 percent waterproof. The adapter has a non-EU plug. While charging
Safety
Their are some safety measures. Except the electrical handbrake you can also place your foot on the rear tire to slow down extra hard to make an emergency stop. When using the brakes, the scooter activates the braking lights. But these are not the only lights on the scooter!
The headlight is a LED light which is very bright and clear! On the bottom of the scooter there is a LED bar which can display various colors. This bar can be controlled by the app (see the screenshots below). I don’t like the disco effects but a steady color is cool and safe!
Another aspect of safety is locking the scooter. Unfortunately it is difficult to lock the scooter to a pole but with the software you can lock the scooter so you can’t drive it without unlocking it. But this is not a real theft prevention, someone can still lift the scooter and throw it in a car.
One thing is not that safe, is that it is missing a bell. When riding this scooter it produces very little noise and is quite silenced. Having a bell would be very useful and safe.
Mobile app
The app is simple and fast. Turn on the scooter, start the app and it’s searching for a bleutooth scooter. when found connect and the app is ready to use, very simple.
You need the app for adjusting the color/light settings and you can upgrade the firmware.
The lock is a nice function but it is not as secure as a real lock. Another nice thing about the
Build Quality & Design
The design is simple and clean, no questions about it!
the platform where you stand has safety dot’s so you can even use it with slippery soles. No visual screws. And folding the scooter is very easy and fast to do. The stand is small but effective.
Ninebot choose to use solit tires instead of air tires, a great advantage is that you can’t get a flat tire every, but it costs some comfort, therefore they use a sping mechanisme to absorbe shocks.
Portability / Mobility
This scooter is very easy to fold. Place your feet on the clip on the front bar, and lift the scooter gentle on the steer, No force needed. However it only weights 13 kg I can’t advice you to walk a long distance with it. It’s so easy to unfold the scooter that it completely replace my bicyle.
Customizability
When you have a 3d printer like us you can print some handy mods. Check thingiverse for some free models.
Another great modification is now possible: Hack the scooter, without soldering of other electronic devices, just a simple software upgrade.
Firmware hack/flash the Ninebot es2
If you want to hack your ES2 scooter you need to flash the Ninebot firmware. Why you should do this? Because it is possible and you can tune and speedupgrade your scooter for free. This process is very easy and in a few steps you have (chip)tuned your scooter.
- make the firmware adjustments on
https://ninebot.scooterhacking.org/ - install the windows/android flash program
- Windows app made by majsi to flash your modified firmware: Ninebot-Flasher
- Android app made by CamiAlfa to flash your modified firmware: ES DownG
- connect with bluetooth to your scooter
- and flash the Bin file you created in Step one.
Complementary products
Battery
You have the choice to upgrade your ES2 with an additional battery, this will essentially take your scooter to the next level in terms of power and range. The maximum speed will be increased to 18.6 mph (30 km/h) and your range to 28 miles (45 km). The battery sits on the neck of the scooter with LED lights representing the power remaining, it’s black and is relatively inconspicuous, incorporating with the T-bar well.
Handy extras
A Bell
A bag: You can also order a Folding Electric Scooter Storage Bag by Gocomma.
Extra battery
Alternative product
Because of the popularity of the electric scooters other (new) brands are entering the market. Mostly with cheaper prodcuts but the downside is the choises in material, app posibilities and the finishing touch. The only real competitor is the Xiaomi M365 or the alfawise clone of it.(check our review)
Pro / cons
Pros
- Solid
tires - A brand with a track record of high-quality products
- High quality
- Mobile application with nice options and upgrade
possibilities - Hackable scooter (tune-able without soldering)
Cons
- No bell
- The electric brakes are very direct and less natural then “normal” brakes.
Price quality
This is not the cheapest electric scooter out now, but for this price you get guarantied quality. So it’s worth the money for sure!
Verdict
As mentioned before this is quality! App support, LED lights, available spare parts, solid tires and a great battery make this an awesome scooter. And that is the reason for the increase in popularity. So we can definitely recommend the Ninebot Segway ES2.
Where to buy?
Review
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Design
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Quality
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Usability
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Price