Review
Are you searching for a simple, foldable, portable, and affordable electric scooter? The Ninebot ES1L is one of the best options around and, in this article, you’re going to find out why.
The Segway Ninebot ES1L features a set of characteristics optimized to provide the best electric scooter at the cheapest price. In a market that is becoming full of powerful and expensive devices that common commuters don’t need and the youngest generations can’t afford, Segway provides a simple, lightweight, and one of the cheapest electric scooters.
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Table of Contents
Quality and Design of Segway Ninebot ES1L Electric Scooter :
The Segway Ninebot ES1L electric scooter has a minimal and thin design, with a black frame and colored finish (handgrips, fenders, and other small details are orange). Despite its thin look it’s suitable for adults and can carry a weight of a maximum of 220 lbs.
The structure is extremely strong and yet lightweight: the Ninebot ES1L is one of the lightest electric scooters available and that makes it one of the most portable options available. Since it features a foldable design and it weighs only 24.9 pounds, it’s easy to fold and carry the scooter with you any time you can’t ride it.
This feature is enough to make the Ninebot ES1L the best option for train or bus commuters: folding the scooter and carrying it with you on the train will be extremely easy. Because it is so light, the Es1L is also suitable for kids.
When folded, the scooter occupies very little space: you can store it behind a door or under the bed and, when you travel, you can put it beneath your seat without bothering the passengers around you.
The Segway Ninebot ES1L features an IPX6 waterproof certification: it means that you can use the electric scooter when there is a risk of water exposure (for example, after a rainy day, when the terrain is still wet and there may be puddles along the way), but you can submerge the device (no deep puddles, no heavy rain, no washing the device by pouring water on it…). It may seem a limit but it is not for two reasons: because this is one of the cheapest options available, we didn’t expect anything more than an IPX6 waterproof certification; furthermore, riding under the rain is always dangerous and you should never venture outside under heavy rain, even if you are provided with the most expensive waterproof electric scooter.
Handlebars
The Segway Ninebot ES1L features a short, straight handlebar with rubberized colored handgrips. It’s the simplest handlebar that can be mounted on an electric scooter and it shows how resources have been optimized to provide the customers with a cheap and yet quality electric scooter.
You have a small display at the center with only one button. These are the only features that we consider “too little” even for a cheap electric scooter. You have one button that does more than one thing: if you push it one time it does one thing, if you keep it pushed it does another and shows another information. This means that is dangerous to use it while you’re riding because you need to lower your gaze to understand what you’re doing and lose sight on the street. This is a small limit of this electric scooter but it can be overcome: pay attention to change setting only when you’re not riding (before you go, at a red traffic light, or pull aside).
Other than the central display and button, the ES1L’s handlebar only features two other controllers: throttle on the right and brake on the left. They are both small levers that you can push down with your thumb while your hand is firm around the handgrip.
Both levers are highly sensitive and responsive: the throttle, in particular, is so responsive that you feel a strong push when you accelerate. If you aren’t comfortable with that (it could be dangerous when you are a beginner rider) you can set a reduced speed mode (with the central button, while you’re not in motion) and this effect is eliminated.
Tires
The Segway Ninebot ES1L features 8 inch solid tires. This is also a choice made for optimizing the electric scooter’s price. Solid tires can’t provide the best performance, but they have some advantages that can make the difference on an affordable commuting electric scooter like this.
Solid tires aren’t subject to puncture and you won’t need to check their pressure (no need to buy a pump!). A diameter of 8 inches for such a small electric scooter is also excellent to provide stability and comfort.
Deck & Kickstand
The deck is narrow and extremely thin. The narrowness doesn’t bother (you can stand comfortably on the electric scooter – even if you’re an adult with long feet!) and the thinness makes the device more agile. The deck can be this thin because the battery is located on the vertical stem – that’s why the stem is thicker than the deck on this device.
The only con is that the deck is very low to the ground: you can’t take big bumps on this device or you’ll damage the deck or even break it. However, this isn’t an electric scooter made for off-road riding. As long as you ride on the road or flat terrains, you won’t have any problem with that.
Like all electric scooters, the Segway Ninebot ES1L features a small and retractable kickstand so that you can leave your device standing any time you need it.
Brakes
The Segway Ninebot ES1L features a front electric brake plus a rear mechanical fender brake. The rear brake is the same that you may have seen or used on a traditional non-motorized scooter: you can push it down with your rear foot and produce mechanical friction on the rear wheel that slows down the device.
The electric brake is highly responsive. It’s not the most powerful brake system you can have on an electric scooter but a more powerful brake than this on this electric scooter would be a waste of resources (and your money!). Compared with the maximum speed and performance that the Segway Ninebot ES1L can reach, the electric front brake is more than enough to provide a safe ride and effective braking power (you’ll rarely use the rear fender brake).
Assembling
The Segway Ninebot ES1L electric scooter comes in a big box that also includes its charger, tool, and user manual. As you pull it out of its box, you find it assembled with the exception of the handlebar.
To attach the handlebar you need to connect a couple of wires and tighten 6 screws with the included tool. It only requires 5 minutes and anyone can do it.
Performance for Segway Ninebot ES1L:
The Segway Ninebot ES1L is provided with a 500-watt brushless motor that can push the electric scooter up to 12.4 mph. You might think this isn’t a great speed but keep in mind that this is a commuting electric scooter and that electric scooters have strict speed limits on the streets of cities all around the world.
12.4 mph speed doesn’t feel like slow on a crowded lane or a trafficked street! And when you’re commuting to the bus stop, it’s certainly faster than walking!
The stability and balance are great. The electric scooter can feel a bit rigid on bumps and this is because of the low deck and solid tires: however, for a device of this price range, we can accept this small limit. When you ride the Segway Ninebot ES1L you soon learn to slow down when you spot some irregularities in the road up ahead.
There are 3-speed modes available even though 2 would be enough: the slowest (Safety Mode) is useful if you’re a beginner and you don’t want to feel that strong push when you accelerate and also when you need to save some battery. The Sport Mode is the one that unleashes the scooter’s full power. The Standard Mode is the one in the middle.
Battery life
The battery mounted on the Segway Ninebot ES1L is a 5100 mAh lithium-ion battery that can provide energy to the electric motor for a maximum of 12.4 miles. The mileage is suitable for commuters, kids, and anyone that uses the electric device for their errands through the city.
The charging time is a bit long: it can take up to 6 hours to charge the device (from empty). When you have a mileage of about 12 miles, you’d like at least to be able to charge the device more quickly than 6 hours! This is another small con of this electric scooter, but – again – because of its price we weren’t expecting a device that was completely lacking in cons.
Why we like about Segway Ninebot ES1L Electric Scooter:
Price
This is one of the most affordable commuting electric scooters on the market.
Features
Features on this electric scooter have been optimized to provide the public with the most complete device at the cheapest price.
What we didn't like about Segway Ninebot ES1L Electric Scooter:
Low deck
Whenever you encounter a small bump, you’ll be touching the deck to the ground and risk damaging it. Ride slowly on bumps or avoid them if you can.
Central button
It’s not ideal to have only one button that does everything. It’s impossible to change the speed mode – for example – while you’re riding.
Charging time
6 hour charging time is a very long time!
Conclusion
If you need an affordable electric scooter to cover short distances every day, the Segway Ninebot ES1L is the option for you. It’s also one of the lightest electric scooters available on the market, so if you need to fold and carry it often, you’ll appreciate the Segway Ninebot ES1L’s low weight.